r 


FAMOUS   AMERICAN  INDIANS. 


TECUMSEH 


AND 


THE   SHAWNEE   PROPHET. 


INCLUDING  SKETCHES  OP 

CBORGE  ROGERS  CLARK,    SIMON    KENTON,   WILLIAM    HENRY   HARRISO* 

CORNSTALK.  BLACKHOOF,  BLUEJACKET,   THE  SHAWNEB  LOGAN, 

AND  OTHERS  FAMOUS  IN  THE  FRONTIER  WARS  OF 

TECUMSEH'S  TIMS. 


BY 

EDWARD  EGGLESTON 

AND 

LILLIE  EGGLESTON  SEELYE. 


NEW  YORK: 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS. 


COPYRIGHT  BY 

DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY. 
187* 


PREFACE. 


IN  this  work  we  have  related  for  the  benefit  of 
the  general  reader  one  of  the  most  romantic  passages 
in  American  history.  We  have  especially  sought  to 
interest  young  people  in  the  history  of  the  country 
through  the  curiosity  that  everybody  feels  about 
aboriginal  life  and  exciting  adventure. 

It  would  defeat  the  purpose  of  the  book  to  cumber 
it  with  foot-notes  and  references  to  authorities.  A 
large  number  of  works,  including  many  scarce  and 
out  of  the  way  books,  have  been  consulted,  but  we 
have  not  often  thought  it  necessary  to  refer  by  name 
to  an  original  authority,  even  when  most  closely  fol 
lowing  his  lead.  A  list  of  the  chief  works  on  the 
various  branches  of  our  subject  has  been  inserted  at 
the  close,  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  may  wish  to 
study  the  matter  further. 


587444 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

PREFACE 3 


CHAPTER  I. 
Tecumseh's  Nation 13 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Childhood  of  Tecumseh 25 

CHAPTER  III. 

Wars  of  the  Shawnees  in  Tecumseh's  Childhood  ..     34 

CHAPTER  TV. 

The  Revolutionary  War  in  the  West — Colonel  Clark's 

Expeditions 41 

CHAPTER  V. 
EarJy  Battles  and  Adventures  of  Tecumseh 52 


0  CONTENTS. 

PAOH 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Defeat  of  I  larmcr  and  St.  Clair 59 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Skirmishes  with  the  Whites— Tecumseh  and  Kenton.     64 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
A  Sketch  of  Simon  Kenton 71 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Wayne's  Victory  over  the  Indians 83 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  Peace  at   Greenville — Blue  Jacket 91 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Death  of  Wawillaway — Tecumseh  as  a  Peace-maker.     96 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Rise  of  the  Prophet 105 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Band  at  Greenville — The   Prophet  in  Council.   118 


CONTENTS.  7 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Tecumseh's  Defiznt  Speeches 130 

CHAPTER  XV. 
General  Harrison  and  the  Prophet , 135 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Plans  and  Character  of  Tecumseh 151 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Formation  of  Tecumseh's  Confederacy 159 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Execution  of  Leatherlips  for  Witchcraft 170 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Meeting  of  Harrison  and  Tecumseh  at  Vincennes..  174 

CHAPTER  XX. 
The  Last  Council  between  Harrison  and  Tecumseh.  193 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Getting  Ready  for  Wai 207 


8  CONTENTS. 

PACK 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
The  Battle  of  Tippecanoe 216 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Incidents  of  the  Battle 224 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Tecumseh's  Return 232 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Hull's  Surrender 240 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Sieges  and  Battles  at  the  Western  Forts 251 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Incidents  of  the   War — Hand  to   Hand  Encounter, 
and  Death  of  Logan 262 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Destruction  of  the  Mississinewa  Villages — Battle  and 
Massacre  on  the  River  Raisin 267 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
The  Siege  of  Fort   Meigs 271 


CHAPTER  XXX. 
The  Second  Attack  on  Fort  Meigs 283 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
Tb«i  Attack  on  Fort  Stephenson - 289 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
Anecdotes  of  Tecumseh 296 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
Perry's  Victory 301 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Battle  of  the  Thames — Death  of  Tecumseh 306 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
After  Tecumseh's   Death 319 


APPENDIX. 


329 


TECUMSEH 


AND 


THE   SHAWNEE   PROPHET, 


CHAPTER  I. 

TECUMSEH'S  NATION. 

SINCE  the  savages  on  this  continent  were  known 
to  civilized  men,  the  Indian  race  has  produced  no 
more  splendid  genius  than  Tecumseh.  He  had  cour 
age  and  fortitude  in  common  with  most  Indians,  but 
to  these  he  added  an  imagination  capable  of  seeking 
the  largest  results,  a  practical  wisdom  that  laid  hold 
upon  the  readiest  means  of  achieving  his  ends,  and 
an  energy  rarely  equaled  by  any  commander.  To 
this  we  must  add  the  knowledge  ot^  human  nature, 
the  tact  to  command,  the  art  to  persuade,  and  the 
skill  to  mold  men  as  he  desired.  He  sought  to  unite 
the  Indians  into  one  vast  confederacy  or  empire,  and, 
putting  himself  at  their  head,  to  stay  the  progress  of 
the  whites.  He  was  defeated,  but  that  defeat  was  the 
result  of  the  inherent  superiority  of  civilization  to 
savagery.  Had  his  gifts  been  exercised  in  a  more 
opportune  field,  he  would  no  doubt  have  proven 
himself  one  of  the  great  leaders  of  men.  And  even 
in  his  mistaken  patriotism  and  foregone  defeat,  he 
showed  himself  a  shrewd  diplomatist,  a  great  com 
mander,  a  persuasive  orator,  a  statesman,  and  a  man 
of  indomitable  patience,  brilliant  courage,  and  won- 


1 4  TECUMSEH. 

derful  power  of  gaining  and  holding  the  allegiance 
of  his  followers. 

„  He  came  of  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  war 
like  of  the  Indian  tribes.  The  Shawnees  have  always 
been  a  restless  people,  more  adventurous  than  any 
other  Indians.  They  belong  to  that  family  of  Indian 
nations  known  as  the  Algonquin.  This  family  was 
the  most  numerous  of  all  the  Indian  races,  and  spoke 
a  language  not  very  different  in  the  different  tribes. 
The  tribes  which  the  whites  first  encountered  in  Vir 
ginia  and  in  Massachusetts  spoke  dialects  of  this  Al 
gonquin  speech.  To  this  stock  belong  the  Six  Nations 
of  Canada,  the  Chippewas  or  Ojibbeways  of  Wiscon 
sin  and  Minnesota,  celebrated  in  Longfellow's  Hia 
watha,  the  Crees  of  Britibh  America,  the  Mohegans, 
the  Delawares,  the  Kickapoos,  the  Illinois,  the  Otta- 
was,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  and  many  other  tribes  well 
known  in  the  history  of  the  settlement  of  the  coun 
try.  The  Algonquin  people  are  supposed  to  have 
constituted  half  the  population  east  of  the  Missis 
sippi  at  the  time  of  the  settlement  of  the  country, 
and  to  have  numbered  not  less  than  ninety  thou 
sand. 

The  language  of  die  Algonquin  Indians  is  very 
complex,  and  to  the  ears  of  those  who  speak  lan 
guages  like  our  own  it  seems  to  be  a  very  strange 
speech.  Words  are  joined  to  words,  and  still  othel 


TECUMSEH'S  NATION.  15 

words  are  added  to  express  various  meanings,  as  to 
time,  place,  person  acting,  person  acted  upon,  and 
so  forth.  One  of  the  most  curious  things  in  the  Al 
gonquin  languages  is  that  the  words  take  on  various 
forms,  not  with  reference  to  male  and  female,  but 
with  reference  to  a  division  of  things  into  superior 
and  inferior.  In  some  of  the  dialects,  all,  or  nearly 
all,  animate  beings  are  superior,  while  inanimate  ob 
jects  are  put  into  another  gender,  so  to  speak.  But 
in  one,  at  least,  of  the  Algonquin  tongues,  the  divi 
sion  is  more  remarkable — God,  the  spirits  or  angels, 
and  men,  are  accounted  superior;  women  and  all 
lower  creatures  are  another  "  gender." 

The  Algonquin  is  very  stately  and  suited  to  ora 
tory,  but  not  well  suited  to  light  and  familiar  speech. 
It  has  many  delicate  and  rhetorical  turns.  When  a 
Chippewa  wishes  to  say  that  a  man  is  dead,  he 
merely  remarks  that  "  they  have  put  the  sand  upon 
him."  When  the  name  of  a  dead  person  is  spoken 
they  affix  to  it  the  termination  of  the  past  tense  to 
indicate  that  he  is  not  living.  Tecumseh  after  his 
death  becomes  "Tecumseh-e-bun."  Much  as  though 
we  should  write,  *'  Has-been  Washington,"  to  im 
ply  that  the  Washington  of  whom  we  speak  was  no 
longer  alive. 

The  history  of  the  Shawnees,  even  aftei  the  settle 
ment  of  America,  is  wrapped  in  obscurity.  They 


1 6  TECUMSEH. 

moved   about  so    incessantly,   and    were    so   often 
divided  in  their  migrations,  that  we  are  enable  to 
track  the  various  divisions,     Some  are  of  the  opinion 
that  the  Eries,  who  are  said  to  have  been  destroyed 
by  the  Iroquois  in  very  early  times,  were  none  oth 
ers  than  the  Shawnees  before  their  wanderings  be 
gan.     Certain  it  is  that  when  we  first  hear  of  them  in 
early  documents,  they  seem  to  be  divided,  wandering, 
and  of  uncertain  habitation.    We  hear  of  a  war  which 
was  being  waged  against  them  by  the  Iroquois  at  the 
time  of  Captain  John  Smith's  arrival  in  America  in 
1607.     They  were  at  that  time  located  to  the  west  of 
the  Susquehanna,  and  on  its  banks.     De  Laet  men 
tions  them  as  on  the  Delaware  in  1632.     They  are 
also  said  to  have  been  located  at  the  South,  and  tc 
have  come  from  near  Lake  Erie.     We  can  only  re 
concile  these  conflicting  accounts  by  supposing  them 
to  have  already  divided  into  several  bands,  some  of 
which  were  in  motion,  for  other  authorities   place 
their  seat,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
in  the  basin  of  the  Cumberland  River  in  Kentucky. 
Later  they  are  found  on  the  Wabash,  where  Tecumseh 
long  afterward  made  a  new  settlement,  and  in  1708 
they  are  spoken  of  as  removing  from  the  Mississippi 
to  South  Carolina.     The  Swanee  or  Suwanee  River, 
in  Florida,  derives  its  name  from  a  party  of  Shawnees 
who  had  come  from  north  of  the  Ohio.    Yet  another 


TECUMSEH'S  NATION.  I/ 

authority  speaks  of  a  tribe  of  Shawnees  that  had 
been  wandering  for  four  years  in  the  wilderness,  and 
who  were  then  returning  to  the  country  of  the 
Creeks.  From  all  of  which  we  gather  that  the 
Shawnees  were  in  the  earliest  times  what  they  proved 
to  be  later — a  people  of  restless  energy,  without  fixed 
unity  or  local  habitation,  very  energetic  and  warlike, 
breaking  into  small  bands  and  reuniting  again.  Col- 
den,  in  1745,  said  that  "  the  Shawnees  were  the  most 
restless  of  all  the  Indians,"  and  that  "  one  tribe  had 
quite  gone  down  to  New  Spain,"  or  Florida. 

One  thing  that  impresses  us  is  the  uselessness  of 
tradition  among  savages.  The  historic  sense  is  not 
developed  in  uneducated  people,  and  fact  soon  getr 
strangely  mixed  with  fiction  in  all  annals  of  races 
not  yet  civilized.  Some  authors  have  quoted  from 
speeches  of  the  Shawnees  to  show  what  their  tra 
ditions  of  the  creation  are,  but  an  Indian  orator  gets 
up  his  account  of  the  creation  for  the  purpose  of  car 
rying  his  point  at  the  moment,  and  his  story  is  no 
doubt  quite  as  fresh  to  those  of  his  own  tribe  who 
may  be  present  as  to  any  others. 

It  is  inferred  that  the  Shawnees  were  present  at 
that  first  beneficent  treaty  of  peace  and  friendship 
negotiated  by  William  Pcnn  in  1682.  But  there  is 
no  assurance  of  this  fact,  for  to  Penn  and  his  associ 
ates  but  just  arrived,  all  Indians  were  simply  Indians, 


1 8  TECUMSEH. 

and  the  treaty  makes  no  mention  of  their  nation 
or  names.  It  is  quite  probable  that  the  Indian  lan 
guages  were  at  that  early  day  so  imperfectly  under 
stood  that  the  treaty  itself  was  apprehended  by  the 
savages  more  in  its  peaceful  import  than  in  its  details, 
The  presence  of  the  Shawnees  is  inferred  from  the 
fact  that  in  Penn's  later  council  with  the  Indians  in 
1701,  we  find  Wapatha,  a  chief  of  the  Shawnees,  ex 
pressly  mentioned  as  representing  his  people ;  and  in 
1722,  in  conference  with  the  whites,  the  Shawnees 
are  said  to  have  exhibited  a  copy  of  the  first  treaty, 
though  the  two  treaties  of  Penn  may  have  been  con 
founded.  About  1698,  nearly  seventy  families  of 
Shawnees,  with  the  consent  of  the  government  of 
Pennsylvania,  removed  from  Carolina  and  settled 
on  the  Susquehanna.  They  perhaps  found  remain 
ing  there  that  portion  of  their  tribfr  which  was  con 
tending  with  the  Iroquois  in  the  time  of  John  Smith, 
unless  the  Iroquois  succeeded  in  quite  driving  them 
out.  And  these  from  Carolina  may  have  been  some 
who  had  been  expelled  in  the  wars  in  which  they 
were  almost  always  engaged,  returning  again  to  an 
old  home. 

In  the  year  1706,  Thomas  Chalkley,  a  minister  of 
the  Society  of  Friends,  found  Shav/nees  and  Senecas 
living  at  Concstoga,  near  the  Susquehanna.  Pie  re- 
•1?tr/j  that  one  of  the  tribes  had  a  v/oman  amc?.-tg 


TECUMSEH'S  NATION.  19 

the  chiefs.  "  On  informing  them  of  our  views  in  this 
visit  to  them,"  he  says,  in  his  quaint  Quaker  way, 
"they  called  a  council,  in  which  they  were  grave, 
and  spoke  one  after  another,  without  any  heat  or 
jarring."  Observing  that  there  was  a  woman  pres 
ent  who  took  part  in  all  deliberations,  the  missionary 
inquired  of  the  interpreter  how  it  came  that  a  woman 
was  admitted  to  council.  He  answered  that  some 
women  were  wiser  than  some  men — a  proposition  not 
difficult  even  for  white  people  to  accept  This  "  an 
cient,  grave  woman"  spoke  much  in  council  and  gave 
her  influence  heartily  in  favor  of  the  missionaries,  so 
that  good  Thomas  Chalkley  adds  that  "the  poor 
Indians,  and  in  particular  some  of  the  young  men 
and  women,  were  under  a  solid  exercise  and  concern 
of  mind." 

As  early  as  1684  there  were  Shawnees  in  the 
West,  allied  with  the  Miamis,  and  yet  we  afterward 
hear  of  Southern  Shawnees  expelled  from  Georgia 
emigrating  to  the  West,  and  building  a  village  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Wabash.  They  applied  to  the  Dela- 
wares,  who  gave  them  territory  in  the  valley  of  the 
Wyoming,  whither  part  of  them  removed.  In  1 742, 
the  famous  Count  Zinzendorf,  the  leader  of  the  Mora 
vians,  had  a  very  curious  adventure  with  these  In 
dians.  He  went  to  Wyoming  determined  to  try  to 
introduce  Christianity  among  them.  He  v/as  not 


20  TECUMSEH. 

well  received ;  the  Indians  suspected  him  of  seeking 

their  lands,  and  some  of  them  determined  to  assassin 
ate  him  privately.  He  sat  in  his  tent  at  night,  with 
a  small  fire  to  keep  him  warm.  The  heat  of  the  fire 
had  warmed  into  activity  a  rattlesnake,  that  stretched 
itself  across  his  leg  the  better  to  feel  the  fire,  but 
the  pious  Count  was  too  deeply  engaged  in  med 
itation  to  observe  the  reptile.  The  Indians  raised 
the  blanket  which  served  as  door  to  his  tent,  but 
seeing  the  venerable  missionary  sitting  wrapped  in 
devout  reflections  and  peacefully  unconscious  of  the 
presence  of  the  snake,  they  were  seized  with  super 
stitious  terror.  They  hurriedly  returned  to  their  vil 
lage  and  told  their  associates  that  the  old  man  was 
under  the  special  protection  of  the  Great  Spirit,  for 
they  had  found  him  with  only  a  blanket  for  a  door, 
and  had  seen  a  large  rattlesnake  crawl  over  him 
without  doing  him  any  harm. 

When  the  war  between  England  and  France 
broke  out  in  1754  it  involved  the  English  colonies  in 
America  in  a  struggle  with  the  French  in  Canada 
and  the  West,  and  the  Shawnces  on  the  Ohio  took 
part  with  the  French.  But  those  residing  in  Penn 
sylvania  rejected  all  solicitations  to  join  them;  the 
influence  of  Pcnn's  treaties  and  Count  Zinzendorf  s 
missionary  labors  had  rendered  them  friendly  to- 
wards  die  whites. 


TECUMSEli'S  NATION.  21 

About  this  time  occurred  the  curious  "  grasshopper 
quarrel,"  which,  beginning  in  a  contest  between 
children,  ended  in  the  expulsion  of  the  Shawnees 
from  the  Wyoming  Valley.  There  seems  to  have 
grown  up  a  gradual  estrangement  between  the  Dela- 
wares  and  Shawnees,  which  was  fanned  to  a  flame 
by  a  most  trivial  circumstance.  The  women  of 
the  two  tribes  were  gathering  berries  by  the  river 
side,  when  some  of  the  Shawnee  children  fell  into  a 
wrangle  with  the  Delaware  children  over  the  possep- 
sion  of  a  grasshopper.  The  mothers  took  sides  with 
their  children,  the  Delaware  women  maintaining  that, 
though  a  Shawnee  child  had  caught  the  grasshopper, 
it  was  caught  on  the  side  of  the  river  belonging  to  the 
Delawares,  hence  the  Delaware  children  were  entitled 
to  it.  From  such  arguments  they  came  to  blows; 
upon  which  the  Shawnee  women  were  speedily  driv 
en  to  their  canoes  by  the  superior  numbers  of  their 
angry  assailants.  On  their  return,  the  Shawnee  hunt 
ers,  influenced  by  the  angry  complaints  of  the  squaws, 
prepared  to  avenge  the  insult,  but  found  the  Dela 
wares  ready  to  meet  them.  The  battle  began  while 
the  Shawnees  were  crossing  the  river,  and  lasted  after 
ward  until  many  of  the  Delawares  and  full  half  of  the 
Shawnees  were  killed.  Soon  after  this  the  latter 
abandoned  the  Wyoming  and  settled  with  those 
Shawnee  tribes  that  had  remained  in  the  valley  of 


22  TECUMSEH. 

the  Ohio.  It  was  here,  in  their  villages  on  the  Miami, 
the  Scioto,  and  the  Mad  River,  that  they  became  in 
volved  in  the  savage  conflict  that  raged  so  long  be 
tween  the  Indians  and  the  white  settlers,  in  which 
border  warfare  Tecumseh  was  cradled,  educated,  and 
spent  his  life. 

The  Shawnees  were  at  one  time  divided  into  twelve 
bands  or  tribes,  but  the  number  gradually  declined 
to  four.  Besides  these  bands  there  is  another  divi 
sion,  running  through  all  the  Algonquin  tribes,  into 
what  are  called  "  totems,"  the  word  being  a  corruption 
of  "  dodaim,"  a  family  mark.  Each  totem  has  some 
name,  usually  of  an  animal;  and  it  is  said  that  no  man 
could  marry  a  person  of  his  own  totem. 

The  present  remnant  of  the  once  powerful  Shaw 
nees  is  very  small,  many  of  them  having  become 
absorbed  by  intermarriage  with  the  whites  no  doubt. 
Others  may  have  mixed  with  the  Indian  tribes,  but 
the  strength  of  this  once  powerful  people  has  been 
wasted  in  the  almost  ceaseless  wars  in  which  they 
have  been  engaged,  against  the  whites  and  against 
other  Indian  nations.  They  have  ever  been  eager  to 
take  the  sword,  and  they  have  perished  by  the  sword. 
The  Shawnees  were  accustomed  to  boast  of  their 
superiority  to  the  other  tribes,  and  their  haughty  pride 
has  had  much  to  do  with  their  conflicts  and  their  de 
struction. 


TECUMSEII'S  NATION.  23 

"  The  Master  of  Life,"  said  one  of  their  chiefs  in 
;<,  "  was  himself  an  Indian.  He  made  the  Shaw 
nees  before  any  other  of  the  human  race.  They 
sprang  from  his  brain.  He  gave  them  all  the  knowl 
edge  he  himself  possessed,  and  placed  them  upon  the 
great  island  (America),  and  all  the  other  red  people 
descended  from  the  Shawnees.  After  he  had  made 
the  Shawnees  he  mude  the  French  and  English  out 
of  his  breast,  the  Dutch  out  of  his  feet,  and  the 
Long  Knives  (Ameiicans)  out  of  his  hands.  All 
these  inferior  races  of  men  he  made  white,  and  placed 
them  beyond  the  stinking  lake  (the  Atlantic  Ocean)." 

This  arrogant  pride  and  warlike  ferocity  made  the 
Shawnees  one  of  the  most  formidable  of  all  the  tribes 
with  which  the  white  settlers  had  to  contend  in  the 
Ohio  Valley.  They  slew  old  and  young,  male  and 
female,  without  pity  and  without  remorse.  They  re 
joiced  in  battle  and  carnage,  in  deception,  stratagem, 
and  faithlessness.  But  in  judging  them  we  must  not 
forget  that  they  were  savage.  Their  whole  educa 
tion  made  them  what  they  were;  and  in  too  many 
instances  the  white  men,  in  the  bitter  struggles  of 
"the  dark  and  bloody  ground,"  easily  forgot  their 
civilization,  and  fell  into  the  cruelty,  bad  faith,  and 
revengefulness  of  savages. 

Tecumseh  had  the  pride,  the  energy,  and  the  forti 
tude  of  his  race.  In  intellect  and  humanity  he  was 


24  TECUMSEH, 

superior  to  them,  but  all  their  fierce  antipathies  were 
in  him.  He  confessed  that  he  could  not  see  a  white 
man  without  feeling  the  flesh  of  his  face  creep.  He 
was  a  savage,  patriotically  believing  in  savage  life, 
but  he  was  none  the  less  one  of  the  very  ablest  men 
that  savage  life  has  produced. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE   CHILDHOOD   OF  TECUMSEH. 

THERE  are  always  curious  contradictions  in  the 
accounts  of  an  event  that  reach  us  only  through  the 
traditions  of  Indians  and  frontier  men.  Tecumseh 
was  born,  according  to  some  accounts,  in  1 768,  and 
according  to  others,  in  1771,  some  say  near  Chilli- 
cothe,  though  Tecumseh  is  reported  to  have  said  that 
his  birth  occurred  near  the  old  Indian  village  of 
Piqua.  There  is  a  story  that  he  and  his  brother,  the 
Prophet,  were  twins,  and  even  that  a  third  brother 
was  born  at  the  same  time;  though  according  to  one 
account  the  Prophet  and  a  twin  brother  were  some 
years  younger  than  Tecumseh.  It  seems  more  likely 
that  the  earlier  date — 1768 — was  that  of  Tecumseh's, 
and  the  later — 1771 — the  date  of  the  Prophet's 
birth,  who  was  perhaps  a  twin.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  that  Tecumseh  was  born  at  the  old  Indian  vil 
lage  of  Piqua,  or  Pickaway,  on  the  Mad  River,  near 
the  Miami. 

There  is  likewise  a  great  contradictoriness  in  the 
accounts  given  of  the  family  history.  It  v/ould  be 
easy  to  believe,  from  Tecumseh's  superior  mind,  that 


26  TECUMSEH. 

there  was  white  blood  in  his  family.  There  is,  how 
ever,  pretty  good  evidence  that  the  family  was  of 
pure  Shawnee  extraction.  The  assertions  of  some, 
that  he  had  both  Anglo-Saxon  and  Creek  blood  in 
his  veins,  seem  to  be  entirely  founded  on  a  boast  of 
Lauliwasikau,  the  Prophet,  who  excelled  more  in 
bragging  than  he  did  in  battle,  and  who  was  more 
voluble  than  truthful.  The  story  is  interesting  to 
us  as  a  small  novel  of  the  Prophet's  own  inven 
tion,  rather  than  for  any  probable  historical  basis. 

His  paternal  grandfather,  according  to  this  incredi 
ble  tale,  was  a  Creek  Indian,  who,  with  other  In-* 
dians,  went  to  one  of  the  Southern  cities,  either 
Savannah  or  Charleston,  to  hold  a  council  with  the 
English  governor.  The  governor's  daughter  was 
present  at  some  of  her  father's  interviews  with  the 
Indians.  She  had  previously  conceived  a  violent 
admiration  for  the  Indian  character,  of  which  she 
took  this  opportunity  to  inform  the  governor.  This 
most  obliging  of  fathers  inquired  of  the  Indians  in 
council,  next  morning,  which  of  them  was  the  most 
expert  hunter.  Tecumseh's  grandfather,  then  a 
handsome  young  man,  sitting  modestly  in  a  retired 
part  of  the  room,  was  pointed  out  to  him.  The  gov 
ernor,  on  finding  that  his  daughter  was  really  desir 
ous  of  marrying  an  Indian,  directed  her  attention,  in 
council  the  following  day,  to  this  young  Creek  war- 


THE   CHILDHOOD   OF   TECUMSEH.  27 

rior,  and  she  promptly  fell  in  love  with  him.  The 
chiefs  were  informed  of  the  young  lady's  attachment 
It  seemed  to  them  incredible,  at  first,  but  finding 
that  the  governor  was  in  earnest,  they  advised  the 
young  Creek  to  accept  this  piece  of  fortune,  to  which 
he  seems  to  have  made  no  objection.  He  was 
immediately  taken  to  another  apartment,  where  a 
train  of  black  servants  disrobed  him  of  his  Indian 
costume,  washed  him,  and  presented  him  with  a  new 
suit  of  European  clothes,  after  which  the  marriage 
ceremony  was  performed.  It  is  customary  with  the 
Indians  to  bathe  a  man  on  adopting  him  among 
them,  and  this  may  be  what  suggested  the  soap  and 
water  part  of  the  story  to  the  Prophet's  mind,  though 
one  cannot  but  think  it  possible  that  he  appreciated 
the  necessity  for  washing  an  Indian  before  present 
ing  him  to  a  lady. 

The  young  warrior  did  not  return  home  with  the 
other  Indians  at  the  close  of  the  council,  but  remained 
with  his  romantic  wife.  He  amused  himself  with 
hunting,  in  which  he  was  very  successful,  usually 
taking  two  black  servants  with  him  to  bring  back 
his  large  quantities  of  game.  The  Prophet's  father, 
Puckeshinwau,  was  a  son  of  this  marriage,  and  at  his 
birth  the  governor  made  great  rejoicing,  causing 
thirty  guns  to  be  fired.  This  boy,  who  was  permitted 
to  visit  the  Indians,  was  given  by  them  his  name, 


28  TECUMSEH. 

which  means  "something  that  drops."  He  afterwards 
preferred  to  desert  the  governor's  house  for  a  life 
among  the  Indians.  This  is  the  Prophet's  tale  ;  but 
an  account  which  is  more  credible  states  that  Tecum- 
seh's  father,  Puckeshinwau,  was  a  full  Indian  belong 
ing  to  the  Kiscopoke,  while  his  mother  was  of  the 
Turtle  tribe  of  the  Shawnee  nation.  His  mother's 
name  was  Methoataske,  and  means  "  a  turtle  laying 
eggs  in  the  sand." 

The  parents  of  Tecumseh  removed  with  others  of 
their  tribe,  under  the  lead  of  the  great  chief  Black- 
hoof,  from  the  South  to  the  valley  of  the  Ohio,  about 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century.  They  estab 
lished  themselves  at  first  on  the  Scioto  and  afterwards 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mad  River,  one  of  the  tributaries 
of  the  Great  Miami.  Puckeshinwau  was  not  a  chief 
by  birth,  but  he  rose  to  that  rank,  and  was  killed  in 
the  battle  of  Kanawha  in  1 774.  After  her  husband's 
death,  Methoataske,  *^ho  is  spoken  of  as  a  respectable 
woman,  returned  to  the  South,  where  she  lived  to  an 
advanced  age  among  the  Cherokee  Indians. 

Though  the  Prophet  is  known  by  several  names, 
Tecumseh  never  had  but  the  one,  which  means 
"a  shooting  star."  The  influences  surrounding  Te 
cumseh  in  babyhood  and  boyhood  must  have  tended 
to  make  him  what  he  was  in  after  life.  The  life  of 
an  Indian  child  is  pre-eminently  one  of  hardship. 


THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  TECUMSEH.  29 

We  can  imagine  him  as  a  baby  bound  hand  and  foot, 
and  strapped  to  a  board  and  carried  like  a  piece  of 
baggage  on  his  mother's  back  for  the  first  six  months. 
Then  he  must  endure  the  long  periods  of  famine 
which  come  from  the  vicissitudes  and  improvidence 
of  an  Indian  hunter's  life.  Like  other  Indian  boys 
who  take  to  the  water  from  the  time  they  are  babies, 
Tecumseh,  no  doubt,  enjoyed  swimming  in  the  Mad 
and  Miami  Rivers  during  the  warm  summer  days. 
His  first  toy  was  probably  a  bow  and  arrow,  and  he 
learned  to  hunt  as  naturally  as  to  swim. 

There  were  seven  children  in  this  remarkable  In 
dian  family,  five  of  whom  were  people  of  more  or 
less  distinction.  Tecumseh's  eldest  brother,  Chee- 
seekau,  is  said  to  have  taken  great  pains  in  the  ed 
ucation  of  the  fatherless  boy.  This  is  rather  remark 
able,  if  it  be  true,  for  there  is  usually  little  that  can 
be  called  direct  education  among  the  Indians.  We 
must  remember  that  the  only  honorable  occupations 
for  an  Indian  man  are  hunting  and  warfare ;  all 
else  is  work  for  squaws.  Of  course,  Tecumseh's 
education  was  mainly  in  the  arts  of  the  soldier  and 
the  hunter,  but  Cheeseekau  is  said  not  only  to  have 
labored  to  make  Tecumseh  a  great  warrior,  but  also 
to  have  taught  him  a  love  for  truth,  a  contempt  for 
everything  mean  and  sordid,  and  the  practice  of  those 
cardinal  Indian  virtues,  courage  in  battle  and  forti* 


30  TECUMSEH. 

tude  in  suffering.  If  Cheeseekau  attempted  the  edu. 
cation  of  his  other  brother,  the  Prophet,  in  any  of 
these  particulars,  he  must  have  failed  signally,  for  he 
possessed  neither  truth  nor  courage. 

"  From  his  boyhood  Tecumseh  seems  to  have  had 
a  passion  for  war.  His  pastimes,  like  those  of  Napo 
leon,  were  generally  in  the  sham  battle-field.  He 
was  the  leader  of  his  companions  in  all  their  sports, 
and  was  accustomed  to  divide  them  into  parties,  one 
of  which  he  always  headed,  for  the  purpose  of  fighting 
mimic  battles,  in  which  he  usually  distinguished  him 
self  by  his  activity,  strength,  and  skill.  His  dexter 
ity  in  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow  exceeded  that 
of  all  the  other  Indian  boys  of  his  tribe,  by  whom  he 
was  loved  and  respected,  and  over  whom  he  exer 
cised  unbounded  influence.  He  was  generally  sur 
rounded  by  a  set  of  companions  who  were  ready  to 
stand  or  fall  by  his  side."  Such  are  the  stories  told 
of  Tecumseh's  boyhood  by  some  who  knew  him. 
It  seems  very  likely  that  he  displayed  in  his  youth 
that  skill  in  hunting  and  war,  and  above  all  the  great 
powers  of  leadership,  which  marked  him  so  strongly 
in  after  life. 

That  Tecumseh  was  capable  of  strong  affection  is 
shown  by  his  regard  for  his  only  sister,  Menewaula- 
koosee,  or  Tecumapease,  the  name  hy  which  she  is 
better  known,  and  which  was  doubtlesb  given  to  her 


THE  CHILDHOOD   OF  TECUMSEH.  3! 

later  in  life,  according  to  Indian  usage,  to  signify 
her  relationship  to  the  great  Tecumseh.  She  was 
"sensible,  kind  hearted,  and  uniformly  exemplary  in 
her  conduct,"  and  must  have  been  a  person  of  com 
manding  character,  for  she  is  said  to  have  exercised 
a  remarkable  influence  over  the  females  of  her  tribe. 
She  was  married  to  a  brave  called  Wasegoboah,  or 
Stand  Firm.  Tecumapease  was  a  great  favorite 
with  her  brother  Tecumseh  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  is  said  to  have  treated  her  always  with 
respect,  making  her  many  valuable  presents. 

In  considering  the  influences  which  surrounded  the 
boyhood  of  Tecumseh,  we  must  not  forget  the  stories 
told  around  the  Indian  camp-fires  of  the  daily  events 
of  the  time ;  and  it  will  be  necessary  to  recall  here 
what  these  events  were.  When  he  was  very  young 
the  war  of  the  American  Revolution  began.  Living 
in  the  Far  West  of  chose  days,  he  was  not  so  entirely 
removed  from  the  Revolutionary  War  as  not  to  feel 
some  influence  from  it.  Great  Britain,  remote  from 
her  rebellious  colonies,  was  engaged  in  war  with 
France  at  the  same  time.  She  carried  on  the  war 
on  this  continent  at  great  disadvantage,  and  it  was 
the  policy  of  the  mother  cour.try  to  use  the  savages 
to  harass  the  Americans. 

That  Tecumseh  listened  well  to  all  he  heard  of  cur 
rent  events  is  shown  in  his  after  life,  when  he  evinced 


32  TECUMSEH. 

a  considerable  knowledge  of  the  past  differences  be 
tween  the  United  States  and  England. 

The  news  which  came  to  the  hearing  of  the  boy 
Tecumseh,  as  fresh  as  that  which  comes  to  us  in  our 
newspapers  to-day,  consisted  of  accounts  of  perpetual 
skirmishings,  scalpings,  and  fightings.  The  successive 
and  exciting  events  of  border  warfare,  in  which  the 
Indians  were  very  successful  during  Tecumseh's  early 
childhood,  entered  into  his  education.  His  patriotic 
feelings  were  all  enlisted  on  the  side  of  the  Indians, 
who  were  opposing  themselves  to  the  ever-increasing 
stream  of  immigration  which  poured  over  the  Alle- 
ghanies  during  the  last  twenty-five  years  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  which  became  a  flood  during 
the  first  decade  of  the  nineteenth. 

Tecumseh  was  not  more  than  six  years  old  when 
his  father  was  killed,  and  his  family  were  several 
times  sufferers  from  the  war  between  the  whites  and 
Indians.  During  all  his  childhood  this  fierce  border 
war  was  waging.  Between  1783  and  1790,  it  was 
estimated  that  fifteen  hundred  men,  women  and  chil 
dren  were  slain  or  taken  captive  by  the  Indians  upon 
the  waters  of  the  Ohio.  The  loss  was  also  undoubt 
edly  great  on  the  Indian  side,  and  the  whites  were 
often  ready  to  learn  from  the  Indians  lessons  of  inhu 
man  cruelty  and  torture. 

Tecumseh's   childhood    was    thus   rocked   in    the 


THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  TECUMSEH.  33 

cradle  of  the  Indian  wars  of  the  Revolutionary  period, 
and  by  all  the  strength  of  early  impressions  and 
training  he  learned  to  love  war,  to  regard  the 
English  as  allies,  to  hate  the  Americans,  and  to  op 
pose  himself  to  the  tide  of  immigration  west  of  the 
Alleghanies. 

Doubtless  the  boy  Tecumseh,  sitting  by  the  camp- 
fire  and  listening  to  the  stories  of  this  savage  war 
and  to  reminiscences  of  the  "  good  old  times  "  when 
the  whites  had  not  come  among  them  with  guns  and 
strong  drink  and  the  superfluous  wants  of  civilization, 
laid  in  his  boyish  mind  the  foundation  for  his  great 
plan,  in  the  strong  conviction  that  the  whites  had  no 
right  to  leave  the  home  on  the  sea-shore,  which  the 
Indians  had  allowed  them,  and  to  encroach  still  fur 
ther  upon  the  wilderness.  He  seems  to  have  stored 
up  carefully  all  that  he  heard  of  broken  treaties  and 
injuries  inflicted  on  the  Indians  by  their  neighbors. 
He  certainly  was  well  versed  in  all  facts  of  this  kind, 
though  he  naturally  did  not  take  the  same  pains  to 
remember  also  the  instances  of  perfidy  on  his  own 
side. 


CHAPTER   III. 

WARS   OF   THE   SIIAWNEES    IN     PECUMSEH'S 
CHILDHOOD. 

ABOUT  the  time  of  Tecumseh's  birth  (1768),  the 
Shawnee  and  Delaware  nations  concluded  a  peace 
with  the  Cherokees,  a  Southern  nation  of  Indians, 
and  remained  at  peace  with  both  whites  and  Indians 
until  1774.  The  cause  of  disturbance  which  sent 
them  on  the  war-path  with  the  whites  in  this  year 
was  the  murder  of  Indians  by  lawless  white  men  in 
retaliation  for  the  stealing  of  horses,  without  regard 
to  whether  the  Indians  killed  were  the  offenders  or  not. 
The  settlers  along  the  frontier,  feeling  sure  that  the 
Indians  would  avenge  the  death  of  their  friends,  pre 
pared  for  defence,  and  sent  an  express  to  the  Assem 
bly  of  the  colony  of  Virginia,  then  in  session,  asking 
for  assistance.  Hostilities  were  begun  by  the  cele 
brated  Mingo  chief,  Logan,  whose  pathetic  speech  is 
familiar  to  every  schoolboy.  He  had  always  been 
friendly  to  the  whites,  but,  Indian-like,  now  de 
stroyed  several  settlers'  families  indiscriminately  in 
retaliation  for  the  murder  of  his  own  relatives.  The 
Earl  of  Dunmore,  at  that  time  governor  of  Virginia, 


WARS   OF  THE  SHAWNEES.  35 

raised  several  regiments  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge, 
which  he  placed  under  the  command  of  General  An 
drew  Lewis,  with  instructions  to  proceed  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Great  Kanawha  River,  where  he  was  to 
be  joined  by  Lord  Dunmore  at  the  head  of  forces 
raised  in  the  interior.  The  Indians,  consisting  of 
Shawnees,  Delawares,  Mingos,  and  lowas,  were 
under  the  command  of  Cornstalk,  a  renowned  Shaw- 
nee  chief.  General  Lewis,  after  a  march  of  nineteen 
days  through  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  miles  of 
wilderness,  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha. 
Mere  he  waited  several  days  expecting  the  arrival 
of  Dunmore.  He  at  length  dispatched  scouts  over 
land  to  Pittsburg  to  see  if  anything  could  be  heard 
of  the  governor.  Before  the  scouts  returned,  an 
express  arrived  from  Lord  Dunmore,  informing 
Lewis  that  he  had  changed  his  plan  and  intended 
to  march  directly  against  the  Indian  towns  on  the 
Scioto.  General  Lewis,  though  not  altogether  pleased 
with  this  change  of  plan,  was  preparing,  early  the 
next  morning,  to  obey  the  orders  of  the  governor, 
when  he  learned  that  a  large  body  of  Indians,  which 
"covered  four  acres  of  ground,"  was  close  at  hand. 
When  Lewis,  who  was  a  man  of  remarkable  cool 
ness,  received  this  intelligence,  he  lighted  his  pipe 
and  ordered  out  two  detachments  to  meet  the  en 
emy,  one  to  march  to  the  right,  some  distance  from 


36  TECUMSEtt. 

the  Ohio,  and  the  other  to  proceed  along  its  bank. 
Abjut  a  mile  from  camp  they  met  the  Indians 
under  Cornstalk,  by  whom  the  two  detachments 
were  almost  simultaneously  attacked,  it  being  now 
about  sunrise 

The  commanders  of  both  these  detachments  being 
in  full  uniform  were  soon  severely  wounded,  one  of 
them  mortally.  The  troops  having  been  reinforced 
from  the  reserve,  the  battle  was  waged  stubbornly  all 
day  long,  and  it  is  ranked  among  "  the  most  memo 
rable  and  well  contested  that  has  been  fought  on  this 
continent"  The  underbrush,  ravines,  and  fallen  trees 
were  favorable  to  the  Indians.  They  succeeded  in 
carrying  away  their  wounded  and  throwing  most  of 
their  dead  into  the  Ohio,  according  to  their  universal 
practice  of  concealing  their  slain  in  battle,  whenever 
possible. 

There  were  many  celebrated  chiefs  present  at  this 
battle,  among  whom  were  Logan,  Red  Eagle,  Elenip- 
sico,  and  Cornstalk,  who  is  styled  "  chief  sachem  of 
the  Shawnecs  and  leader  of  the  northern  confeder 
acy."  It  is  said  that  this  chief,  who  was  generally 
friendly  to  the  whites,  had  opposed  this  attack  on 
General  Lewis,  but  had  been  overruled.  In  battle 
he  fought  with  great  bravery,  being  the  loudest- 
voiced  and  most  conspicuous  in  encouraging  the 
Indians.  When  their  lines  began  to  waver  he  was 


WARS  OF  THE  SIIAWNEES.  37 

among  them  in  a  moment,  crying,  -l  Be  strong !  " 
'  Be  strong !  "  He  buried  his  tomahawk  in  the  head 
of  one  of  his  retreating  warriors,  and,  shaming  the 
rest,  completely  rallied  his  forces. 

It  was  during  this  day's  battle  that  Tecumseh's 
father,  the  chief  Puckeshinwau,  was  killed.  His  eldest 
son,  Cheeseekau,  fought  at  his  side.  Toward  the  latter 
part  of  the  day,  the  Indian  forces,  having  been  at 
tacked  in  the  rear  by  the  Virginians,  began  a  slow 
and  orderly  retreat,  conducted  by  Cornstalk,  the  In 
dians  advancing  and  falling  back  alternately,  and 
fighting  stubbornly  all  the  way.  At  length  as  night 
came  on  the  savages  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 
After  the  battle  they  recrossed  the  Ohio  and  marched 
to  the  valley  of  the  Scioto.  Here  a  council  of  war 
was  held  to  determine  future  movements.  Cornstalk 
rose  in  council  and  made  this  speech  :  "  What  shall 
we  do  now  ?  The  Long  Knives  (a  name  by  which  the 
Indians  called  the  whites  because  of  their  swords) 
are  coming  upon  us  by  two  routes.  Shall  we  turn 
out  and  fight  them  ?  "  Here  he  made  an  impressive 
pause,  and  no  one  answering  he  proceeded  :  "  Shall 
we  kill  all  our  women  and  children  and  then  fight 
until  we  are  killed  ourselves  ? "  All  were  silent 
Then  Cornstalk,  striking  his  tomahawk  into  the  war- 
post  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  council,  said  with 
great  vehemence:  "Since  you  are  not  inclined  to 


38  TECUMSEH. 

fight,  I  will  go  and  make  peace."  And  peace  was 
made. 

Governor  Dunmore  had  marched  to  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  camp,  where  he  was  met  by  messengers 
from  the  Indians  suing  for  peace.  He  sent  an  ex 
press  to  General  Lewis,  who  had  crossed  the  Ohio 
and  was  marching  for  the  Shawnee  towns  on  the 
Scioto,  ordering  him  to  retreat  across  the  river.  The 
general  and  his  forces  were  so  anxious  to  continue 
the  campaign  and  avenge  the  blood  of  their  compan 
ions,  that  they  disregarded  the  governor's  order  and 
continued  their  march  until  Lord  Dunmore  met 
them  in  person  and  repeated  his  command  emphati 
cally. 

Cornstalk  was  one  of  those  able  Indians  of  whom 
the  Shawnees  had  more  than  their  proportion.  He 
was  the  earnest  friend  of  the  Moravian  missions 
among  the  Indians,  and  always  encouraged  any  effort 
which  tended  toward  the  moral  and  physical  better 
ment  of  his  people.  He  was  also  spoken  of  very 
highly  as  an  orator.  When  the  treaty  was  concluded 
between  the  Indians  and  Dunmore,  Cornstalk  made  a 
speech  which  showed  his  patriotism  and  sense  of  jus 
tice.  He  described  the  wrongs  his  people  had  suffer 
ed  from  the  colonists,  and  contrasted  the  condition  of 
his  nation  before  their  intercourse  with  the  whites, 
with  their  degraded  and  miserable  state  at  that  time 


WARS  OF  THE  SIIAWNEES.  39 

He  spoke  boldly  of  the  dishonesty  of  the  traders, 
and  proposed  that  no  commerce  with  the  Indians 
should  be  carried  on  for  individual  profit,  but  that 
honest  men  should  be  sent  among  them  who  would 
trade  for  such  things  as  they  needed  at  a  fair  price ; 
and,  above  all,  that  no  " fire-water"  of  any  kind 
should  be  allowed  to  come  among  them. 

This  treaty  with  Governor  Dunmore  did  not  bring 
a  lasting  peace.  New  difficulties  were  ever  arising. 
Cornstalk's  friendship  for  the  whites,  and  his  desire 
to  avoid  the  disastrous  effects  of  a  war  on  his  own 
people,  led  him  to  his  death.  In  1777,  two  years 
after  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  an 
offensive  alliance  was  formed  among  the  Indians 
against  Western  Virginia.  Cornstalk  opposed  this 
with  all  his  influence,  but  in  vain.  He  determined  to 
give  warning  to  the  whites,  in  hope  of  thus  prevent 
ing  the  war  he  so  much  dreaded  for  his  people.  He 
went  secretly  to  the  fort  at  Point  Pleasant,  accom 
panied  by  Red  Hawk,  who  was  also  friendly  to  the 
whites,  and  another  Indian.  After  fully  explaining 
all  to  the  commander,  he  frankly  said,  in  speaking  of 
the  state  of  feeling  among  the  Shawnees:  "The 
current  sets  so  strongly  against  the  Americans,  in 
consequence  of  the  agency  of  the  British,  that  they 
will  float  with  it,  I  fear,  in  spite  of  all  my  exertions." 

The  commander,  Captain  Arbuckle,  in  violation 


4O  TECUMSEII. 

of  all  good  faith,  detained  the  chiefs  as  hostages. 
While  they  were  there  the  officers  in  the  fort  held 
many  conversations  with  Cornstalk,  and  were  much 
surprised  at  his  intelligence.  He  seemed  to  take 
pleasure  in  giving  them  descriptions  of  his  country. 
One  day  as  he  was  drawing  a  rude  map  on  the  floor 
by  way  of  illustration,  a  call  was  heard  from  the  op 
posite  shore,  which  he  knew  to  be  the  voice  of  his 
favorite  son  Elenipsico,  a  fine  young  Indian,  who  was 
prominent  in  the  battle  at  Kanawha.  Elenipsico,  at 
his  father's  request,  crossed  the  river  and  joined  him 
at  the  fort,  where  they  greeted  each  other  very  affec 
tionately.  Soon  after  two  men  belonging  to  the  fort 
went  out  hunting,  and  one  of  them  having  been 
killed  by  some  Indians,  the  regiment  to  which  he  be 
longed  rushed  madly  in  to  kill  the  captives  at  the 
fort  in  revenge,  believing  Eleuipsico  to  have  brought 
with  him  the  Indians  who  killed  their  friend.  Corn 
stalk  and  his  companions  were  warned  by  the  intei 
preter's  wife,  who  had  been  a  captive  among  the  Ii. 
dians  and  felt  an  affection  for  them.  Elenipsicx 
denied  having  anything  to  do  with  it,  and  seemer 
much  agitated,  but  his  father  encouraged  him,  saying 
"  If  the  Great  Spirit  has  sent  you  here  to  be  killed, 
you  ought  to  die  like  a  man."  Which  they  both  did, 
boingr  Cruelly  slain  by  the  enraged  soldiers. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  RE\  OLUTIONARY  WAR   IN  THE  WEST- 
COLONEL  CLARK'S   EXPEDITIONS. 

THE  expedition  of  Colonel  Clark  against  the  Brit 
ish  posts  in  the  West  illustrates  so  well  the  general 
character  of  the  West  at  that  time,  and  the  Western 
methods  of  warfare,  and  is  withal  a  story  so  full  of 
interest,  that  we  give  it  briefly  here.  It  has  also  cer 
tain  relations  to  the  life  of  Tecumseh,  in  so  far  as  it 
shows  the  early  conflict  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain  on  this  ground. 

During  the  Revolutionary  War  the  British  were 
in  possession  of  many  posts  on  the  frontier,  among 
which  was  Kaskaskia,  near  the  junction  of  the  Kas- 
kaskia  River  with  the  Mississippi,  in  what  is  now 
the  State  of  Illinois.  This  place  was  originally  a 
French  post,  founded  in  1673,  but  it  had  been  sur 
rendered  to  the  British  at  the  time  of  the  fall  of 
Canada  and  the  consequent  overthrow  of  the  French 
power  in  America,  and  fron  this  point  the  British 
authorities  during  the  Revolution  furnished  the  In 
dians  with  the  supplies  which  enabled  them  to  harry 
the  American  frontier. 


42  TECUMSEH. 

In  1778,  one  of  the  first  expeditions  beyond  the 
Ohio  was  sent  out  from  Virginia  against  Kaskaskia. 
This  expedition  was  placed  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark,  a  man  of  great  cour 
age,  immense  energy,  and  incredible  powers  of  en 
durance.  He  had,  besides,  a  peculiar  talent  for 
Indian  warfare.  Indians  seldom  fight  in  the  open 
battle-field.  Their  great  strength  lies  in  surprises. 
They  make  sudden  movements  and  plan  ambus 
cades  with  great  craft.  A  lack  of  attention  to  these 
peculiarities  of  a  savage  foe  caused  Braddock's  de 
feat  and  many  other  disasters.  But  the  skillful  fron 
tier  man,  in  all  border  skirmishes,  adopted  the  Indian 
methods.  In  nearly  all  frontier  conflicts  the  number 
of  men  killed  and  wounded  was  small  Men  were 
scarce,  and  craft  took  the  place  of  force.  Many  of 
the  expeditions  sent  from  the  East  after  that  of 
Colonel  Clark,  were  disastrous  failures,  from  the  fact 
that  the  large  forces  of  regulars  would  march  into 
the  country,  allowing  the  wary  Indians  time  to  pre 
pare  traps  into  which  the  troops  would  blindly 
march  only  to  be  cut  to  pieces. 

The  object  of  Clark's  expedition  was  kept  a  profound 
secret  A  regiment  was  authorized  to  be  raised  for 
the  protection  of  the  Western  frontier,  and  the  confi 
dence  in  Colonel  Clark  was  so  great  that  no  trouble 
was  found  in  raising  three  hundred  men  without  delay. 


COLONEL  CLARK'S  EXPEDITIONS.          43 

This  little  force  made  a  wilderness  journey  of 
more  than  a  thousand  miles.  They  crossed  the 
mountains  of  the  Monongahela  and  descended  by 
water  to  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio.  Here  they  were 
met  by  some  Kentucky  volunteers ;  for  no  conflict, 
great  or  small,  took  place  on  the  Western  frontier  in 
which  the  warlike  Kentuckians  did  not  have  a  part. 
The  expeditionary  force  then  proceeded  down  the 
Ohio  to  a  point  about  sixty  miles  above  its  mouth, 
where  they  hid  their  boats  to  prevent  their  being  dis 
covered  by  the  Indians.  Clark's  little  army  was  now 
one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  from  Kaskaskia,  and 
the  country  to  be  traversed — what  is  now  Southern 
Illinois — was,  in  its  wild  state,  almost  impassable. 
Through  this  low  prairie,  covered  with  a  dense  vege 
tation,  the  brave  colonel  marched  at  the  head  of  his 
men,  his  rifle  on  his  shoulder  and  his  provisions  on 
his  back.  They  waded  through  or  crossed  by  the 
quickest  means  available  the  numerous  streams  and 
morasses  on  their  route.  They  marched  two  days 
after  their  provisions  were  exhausted,  and  arrived 
before  the  fortifications  of  Kaskaskia  in  the  night 
The  long  march  had  been  accomplished  without 
alarming  either  the  English  or  the  Indians ;  no  one 
had  suspected  his  coming.  Clark  halted,  formed  his 
men,  and  delivered  a  short  and  pointed  speech,  of 
which  the  substance  was  that  "the  town  was  to 


44  TECUMSEH. 

be  taken  at  all  events."  But  the  surprise  was  so 
great  that  the  capture  was  effected  by  stratagem, 
without  resistance,  on  the  night  of  the  fourth  of  July. 
The  inhabitants  were  closely  shut  within  their  houses, 
to  prevent  intelligence  of  the  arrival  of  the  Ameri 
cans  becoming  known  in  the  other  settlements.  A 
detachment  was  mounted  on  the  horses  of  the 
country  and  immediately  pushed  on  up  the  Missis 
sippi  to  surprise  the  villages  there.  They  were  all 
taken  as  secretly  and  suddenly  as  Kaskaskia,  and  the 
power  of  Great  Britain  was  entirely  broken  in  the 
Mississippi  River  country,  by  the  sudden  onslaught 
of  a  few  hundred  men. 

Winning  the  favor  of  the  French  at  Kaskaskia  by 
kindness  and  shrewd  management,  Clark  got  them 
to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States. 
Then  he  dispatched  a  friendly  priest,  Father  Gibault, 
to  sound  the  people  at  Vincennes,  an  old  French  set 
tlement  on  the  Wabash  which  had  become  a  British 
post,  and  which  now  lay  between  Clark  and  the 
American  settlements. 

Through  the  influence  of  this  priest  in  the  absence 
of  the  governor,  Vincennes  declared  for  the  Ameri 
cans;  but  on  the  approach  of  Governor  Hamilton 
with  a  British  force,  the  American  captain,  who 
with  one  private  soldier  constituted  the  garrison, 
was  forced  to  surrender.  By  planting  a  loaded  can- 


COLONEL  CLARK'S  EXPEDITIONS.          45 

non  in  the  gate  of  the  fort,  and  standing  over  it  with 
a  lighted  match,  the  commander  of  this  little  garri 
son  of  two  extorted  the  honors  of  war  from  his 
captor. 

Vincennes,  having  been  considered  within  reach  of 
an  attack  from  the  Americans,  had  been  strongly 
fortified,  and  was  now  well  garrisoned,  and  under 
the  command  of  the  English  governor,  Hamilton, 
an  experienced  and  excellent  officer.  He  proposed 
to  march  upon  Clark  as  soon  as  possible,  with  a 
certainty  of  success,  for  his  force  was  greatly  superior 
to  that  of  the  Americans,  and  he  had  also  under  his 
command  a  body  of  six  hundred  Indian  warriors. 
The  season  was  such,  however,  as  to  make  any  move 
ment  seem  entirely  impracticable.  The  interven 
ing  country  is  low  and  level,  and  the  rivers  and 
streams  overflow  their  banks  during  heavy  rains. 
They  were  by  this  time  greatly  swollen.  The  British 
commander  reasoned  that  Colonel  Clark  would  also 
be  unable  to  move  for  the  same  reason  that  detained 
him,  and  that  upon  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi  no 
reinforcements  could  by  any  possibility  reach  him 
from  the  distant  settlements.  As  soon  as  the 
streams  should  fall  in  the  spring,  Hamilton  proposed 
to  attack  the  Americans  at  Kaskaskia  with  the  assur 
ance  of  success ;  and  had  Clark  been  a  regular  mili 
tary  officer,  or  a  common  man  accustomed  to  regard 


4  TECUMSEH. 

difficulties  or  even  to  respect  impossibilities,  Governof 
Hamilton's  plans  would  have  been  sure  to  bring 
victory. 

He  reckoned  badly,  however,  in  feeling  sure  that 
anything  could  detain  so  impetuous  a  man  as  Clark 
anywhere.  Shrewdly  guessing  what  were  the  pur 
poses  of  the  British  governor,  and  having  been  in 
formed  of  the  size  of  Hamilton's  force,  he  quickly 
saw  that  to  await  his  arrival  at  Kaskaskia  would  be 
fatal.  The  other  expedient  was  almost  equally  des 
perate;  but  he  decided,  in  spite  of  all  obstacles,  to  be 
himself  the  first  to  attack. 

To  carry  out  this  arduous  undertaking  he  would 
have  to  pass,  without  a  road,  through  one  hundred 
and  sixty  miles  of  "  fertile  soil,  whose  light,  spongy 
loam,  saturated  with  water,  afforded  no  firm  footing 
to  the  steps  of  the  soldiery,  and  to  cross  the  Kaskas 
kia,  the  Little  Wabash,  the  Ernbarras,  and  the  Great 
Wabash  Rivers,  besides  a  number  of  their  tributa 
ries,  all  of  which  were  swollen  and  margined  by 
wide  belts  of  inundated  land."  He  began  the  march 
for  Vincennes,  however,  having  nothing  but  a  few 
pack-horses  and  the  backs  of  the  soldiers  on  which 
to  carry  his  provisions  and  ammunition.  This  march 
was  made  in  eleven  weary  days  of  plodding  through 
mud  and  water,  the  troops  sleeping  at  night  without 
shelter  on  the  damp  ground.  A  t  one  time  the  men 


COLONEL  CLARK'S  EXPEDITIONS.  47 

refused  to  march  through  an  icy  river.  Clark  mount 
ed  a  little  drummer  boy  on  the  shoulder  of  a  tall  ser 
geant,  and  ordered  the  one  to  beat  a  march  while  the 
other  proceeded  into  the  water.  Clark  drew  his 
sword  and  fell  in  behind  the  sergeant,  crying,  "  For 
ward  ! "  The  men  were  amused  and  elated  by  the 
scene,  and  of  course  followed  the  commander.  This 
dauntless  man  had  each  of  the  companies  give  a 
"  feast "  on  successive  nights  of  the  march,  to  which 
the  others  were  invited.  By  means  of  these  frolics 
the  men  were  made  to  forget  the  awful  perils  and 
hardships  of  their  march. 

At  last  they  reached  the  Great  Wabash  River, 
which  of  itself  seemed  a  barrier  quite  impassable. 
On  the  high  eastern  shore  of  its  bank  stood  the  En 
glish  fort  with  the  swift  current  of  the  river  sweeping 
around  its  foot,  while  the  western  shore  was  low  and 
full  of  treacherous  quicksands,  where  Hall,  in  his 
"  Sketches  of  the  West,"  says  he  has  seen  the  horse 
sink  under  his  rider  and  become  instantly  buried  in 
the  mire.  The  prairie  was  now  covered  for  five 
miles  with  water,  in  some  places  too  deep  for  fording, 
in  others  too  shallow  for  boats.  Clark  hesitated  for 
no  difficulties.  It  took  him  five  days  to  get  his  now 
starving  and  exhausted  troops  across  this  waste  of 
water,  maneuvering  successfully  to  conceal  his  forces 
'rom  the  enemy  by  keeping  as  nearly  under  sheltei 


48  TECUMSEH. 

of  the  timber  as  possible,  sometimes  wading  breast* 
deep,  and  at  other  times  using  canoes  or  constructing 
rafts.  At  one  time  when  the  men  faltered  he  diverted 
them  by  blacking  his  face  with  powder,  giving  a 
war-whoop,  and  making  them  follow  his  example. 
Having  at  last  achieved  the  passage  of  the  river  he 
appeared  before  Vincennes,  surprising  the  post  as  com 
pletely  as  he  had  surprised  the  more  western  forts. 

Before  attacking  the  post  he  sent  secretly  the  fol 
lowing  characteristic  letter  to  the  French  inhabitants 
of  the  town.  One  cannot  but  smile  now  at  this  man 
ifesto  of  a  commander  whose  troops  had  eaten  almost 
nothing  for  five  days,  and  who  were  now  to  contend 
with  a  force  greatly  superior,  a  part  of  which  was 
composed  of  Indians  who  would  show  no  mercy  in 
case  they  were  victorious : 

"  To  the  Inhabitants  of  Post  Vincennes. 

"  GENTLEMEN  :  Being  now  within  two  miles  of  your  vil 
lage  with  my  army,  determined  to  take  your  Fort  this 
night,  and  not  being  willing  to  surprise  you,  I  take  this 
method  to  request  such  of  you  as  are  true  citizens  and 
willing  to  enjoy  the  liberty  I  bring  you,  to  remain  still  in 
your  houses.  And  those,  if  any  there  are,  that  are  friends 
tr>  the  King,  will  instantly  repair  to  the  Fort,  and  join  the 
} \AiR-Bi-TER  GENERAL,  and  fight  like  men.  And  if  any 
such  as  do  not  go  to  the  Fort  shall  be  discovered  after 
wards,  they  may  depend  on  severe  punishment.  On  the 
contrary,  those  who  are  true  friends  to  liberty  will  be  well 
treated.  G.  R.  CLARK." 


COLONEL  CLARK'S  EXPEDITIONS.    49 

The  nick-name  of  Hair-Buyer  General  applied  to 
the  English  commander  doubtless  refers  to  the  British 
use  of  the  Indians  as  allies,  and  the  practice,  on  the 
part  of  the  savages,  of  scalping  those  who  fell  into 
their  hands.  It  is  but  fair  to  state  that  Hamilton  was 
a  courteous  and  magnanimous  gentleman,  notwith 
standing  Clark's  contempt  The  latter,  like  many 
other  brave  and  patriotic  soldiers,  was  not  remarka 
ble  for  observing  the  courtesies  of  life,  nor  indeed  for 
personal  culture.  His  spelling  is  very  eccentric.  He 
speaks  of  himself  as  having  been  very  much  "  adju- 
tated "  at  one  time ;  he  says  "  atacted,"  and  he 
receives  "  intiligence."  But  it  does  not  take  the  ed 
ucation  of  the  schools  to  make  a  daring  and  skillful 
frontier  commander,  and  this  last  he  was. 

By  repeating  Hannibal's  stratagem  of  marching 
his  few  soldiers  round  and  round  so  as  to  make  them 
seem  many  more  than  they  were,  and  by  a  series  of 
tricks,  some  of  which  seemed  almost  like  practical 
jokes  and  school-boy  pranks,  he  outwitted  the  En 
glish  commander  in  every  way.  He  had  so  few  men 
that  he  could  ill  afford  to  lose  one,  and  another  force 
that  he  had  sent  round  by  water  had  not  yet  come. 
He  kept  his  men  under  shelter,  had  them  now  fire 
rapidly  and  then  slacken,  so  as  to  seem  to  be  reliev 
ing  one  party  with  another.  After  a  particularly 
hot  fire  the  men  would  shout  and  laugh  as  though  ft 

3 


50  TECUMSEH. 

were  only  play.  Fearing  that  some  important  dis 
patches  intended  for  him  had  fallen  into  the  enemy's 
hands  and  would  be  destroyed,  he  concluded  to  force 
a  surrender  at  once,  if  possible.  The  demand  was 
made  with  characteristic  effrontery,  as  follows : 

"  SIR  :  In  order  to  save  yourself  from  the  impending 
storm  that  threatens  you,  I  order  you  immediately  to  sur 
render  yourself,  with  all  your  garrison,  stores,  &c.,  &c.; 
for  if  I  am  obliged  to  storm,  you  may  depend  on  such 
treatment  as  is  justly  due  a  murderer.  Beware  of  destroy 
ing  stores  of  any  kind,  or  any  papers  or  letters  that  are  in 
your  possession,  or  hurting  one  house  in  town,  for,  by 
Heavens !  if  you  do,  there  shall  be  no  mercy  shown  you. 

"G.  R.  CLARK. 

"To  Gov.  HAMILTON." 

Hamilton  refused  to  surrender,  but  soon  after  pro 
posed  a  truce.  This  Clark  refused,  making  up  in 
assurance  what  he  lacked  in  force.  Colonel  Hamil 
ton  at  last  capitulated,  surrendering  to  Clark  a  force 
much  more  numerous  than  the  attacking  party.  By 
this  victory  the  great  north-western  region  was  added 
to  the  territory  of  the  United  States. 

Two  years  later  the  border  war  came  directly  to 
Tecumseh's  own  home,  in  an  affair  that  must  have 
left  a  strong  impression  on  the  boy's  mind.  The 
Indian  village  of  Piqua,  picturesquely  situated  on  a 
precipitous  cliff  overlooking  the  Mad  River,  and  bor 
dered  by  a  beautiful  prairie,  was  then  quite  populous 
It  is  said  that  there  was  within  its  limits  a  rude  log 


COLONEL  CLARK'S  EXPEDITIONS.  51 

fort  surrounded  with  pickets,  and  more  than  two 
hundred  acres  of  corn  and  other  vegetables  had 
been  planted  there  by  the  Indians. 

This  time  Colonel  Clark  led  an  expedition  of  a 
thousand  Kentuckians  against  the  Shawnees  residing 
on  the  Great  Miami.  He  dropped  upon  them  sud 
denly,  as  was  his  fashion,  and  they  had  scarcely  time 
to  send  to  the  woods  for  safety  their  squaws  and 
children,  among  whom,  no  doubt,  was  the  young 
Tecumseh.  Though  they  defended  their  cabins  for  a 
time,  their  villages  were  burned  and  the  corn-fields 
destroyed.  "This  seems,"  says  James  Hall,  with 
great  justice,  "to  have  been  the  most  effectual 
method  for  bridling  the  ferocity  of  the  Indians ;  the 
death  of  a  portion  of  their  warriors  only  increased 
their  fury,  but  the  destruction  of  their  villages  and 
corn-fields  chilled  their  courage  by  showing  them 
that  war  could  be  carried  to  their  homes,  while  it 
crippled  their  military  power  by  forcing  them  to 
engage  in  hunting  to  support  their  families." 


CHAPTER  V. 

EARLY   BATTLES    AND   ADVENTURES   OF 
TECUMSEH. 

IN  1786,  Captain  Benjamin  Logan  led  a  party  of 
mounted  men  against  the  villages  of  Machachacs  (or 
Mequacakes),  one  of  the  four  tribes  into  which  the 
Shawnees  were  divided  at  that  time,  and  who  lived 
on  the  waters  of  the  Mad  River.  His  attack  was 
made  on  the  villages  while  most  of  the  warriors  were 
absent,  which  may  account  for  the  fact  that  two  In 
dian  youths,  who  afterwards  became  distinguished 
on  opposite  sides,  should  have  been  among  those 
who  defended  the  villages  at  this  time.  In  one  of 
Logan's  skirmishes,  near  where  the  city  of  Dayton 
now  stands,  Tecumseh,  who  was  not  more  than  six 
teen  or  eighteen  years  of  age,  came  under  fire  foi 
the  first  time.  He  was  under  the  charge  of  his 
brother,  the  distinguished  brave  Cheeseekau.  It  is 
said  that  the  boy  Tecumseh  took  fright  and  fled.  A 
similar  story  is  told  of  the  great  Seneca  chief,  Red 
Jacket,  and  of  Frederick  the  Great.  This  is  the  only 
instance  on  record  in  which  Tecumseh  showed  fear  or 
lost  his  presence  of  mind  in  peril 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  TECUMSEH.  53 

In  this  same  skirmish,  or  in  some  other  during 
this  expedition,  Captain  Logan  captured  Spemica 
Lawba,  who  afterwards  took  Logan's  own  name  and 
became  celebrated,  not  like  Tecumseh,  as  the  enemy 
of  the  white  man,  but  as  his  friend.  Captain  Logan 
having  entered  a  village  from  which  the  warriors 
were  mostly  absent,  captured,  with  slight  resistance, 
thirty  prisoners,  mostly  women  and  children.  But 
after  the  conclusion  of  the  battle  he  was  much  an 
noyed  by  arrows  shot  by  some  one  with  an  aim  so 
good  as  to  greatly  harass  the  men.  Search  was 
made  in  the  tall  grass  about  the  village  until  an 
Indian  boy  was  discovered  with  bow  and  quiver, 
boldly  persecuting  the  enemies  of  his  people,  though 
he  fought  single-handed.  He  was  made  prisoner, 
and  lived  in  Captain  Logan's  family  for  some  years, 
until  he  was  exchanged  and  returned  to  his  own 
people.  His  name,  Spemica  Lawba,  meant  "  The 
High  Horn,"  but  after  his  captivity  he  was  always 
known  as  Logan,  and  was  ever  afterward  a  steadfast 
friend  of  the  whites.  He  is  not  to  be  confounded 
with  Logan,  the  famous  Mingo  chief. 

The  services  which  Logan  was  able  to  render  tc 
the  whites  in  the  war  of  1812,  were  many  and  bril 
liant;  but  there  was  one  earlier  enterprise  of  this 
most  friendly  and  faithful  savage  that  deserves  men 
tion  here. 


54  TECUMSEH. 

The  Indians  around  Fort  Wayne  had  been  show 
ing  signs  of  hostility,  and  the  whites  thought  best 
to  remove  the  women  and  children,  of  whom  there 
were  twenty-five,  to  a  better  protected  place  in  Ohio. 
This  defenceless  party  was  intrusted  to  the  care  and 
guidance  of  Logan.  After  nearly  a  hundred  miles 
of  perilous  travel  he  brought  them  safely  to  their 
destination.  His  sense  of  responsibility  in  this  diffi 
cult  and  delicate  mission  was  so  great  that  he  is  said 
not  to  have  slept  during  the  whole  time  of  its  per 
formance. 

Tecumseh,  a  little  later,  took  part  in  an  attack 
made  by  the  Indians  on  some  flatboats  descending 
the  Ohio.  The  greater  part  of  the  commerce  of  the 
Ohio  River  was,  until  very  recent  times,  carried  on 
by  large  flatboats  of  peculiar  construction,  often 
more  than  a  hundred  feet  in  length.  These  covered 
flatboats,  which  still  float  on  the  large  Western  rivers, 
are  propelled  by  great  oars,  that  require  from  two 
to  four  men  to  the  oar,  and  are  moved  by  the  men 
walking  forward  on  the  deck  of  the  boat  as  they 
push  the  oars  through  the  water.  So  that  each  boat 
needs  a  crew  of  six  or  more.  In  the  time  of  peril 
from  the  Indians  several  of  these  boats  were  lashed 
together  in  order  that  the  force  for  defense  might  be 
greater.  The  flatboat  men  and  keelboat  men  of  that 
day  led  adventurous  and  dangerous  lives.  Voyag- 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  TECUMSEH,  55 

ing  down  the  great  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers, 
they  were  a  prey  to  the  Indians  and  the  fierce  out 
laws  who  infested  the  river  and  the  wilds  of  Tennes 
see  and  Kentucky,  through  which  their  return  jour 
ney  by  land  was  made. 

If  Tecumseh  had  manifested  any  lack  of  bravery 
and  coolness  in  his  previous  battle,  he  seemed  deter 
mined  to  wipe  out  the  stain  this  time,  for  he  showed 
such  courage  as  to  leave  in  the  background  some  of 
the  oldest  and  bravest  warriors  in  the  party.  The 
boats  were  captured  and  the  men  all  killed  with  the 
exception  of  one,  who  was  taken  prisoner  and  burnt 
according  to  the  barbarous  Indian  custom.  Tecum 
seh  silently  witnessed  the  revolting  scene,  it  being 
his  first  experience  of  the  kind.  When  it  was  over, 
the  youth  expressed  his  abhorrence  of  it,  and  made 
the  Indians  so  eloquent  and  forceful  a  speech  that 
they  all  agreed  with  him  in  saying  that  they  never 
would  burn  another  prisoner.  And  it  is  believed 
that  none  of  the  party  were  ever  afterward  guilty 
of  participation  in  this  fiendish  practice.  Nothing 
could  'Better  indicate  Tecumseh's  wonderful  power 
over  men.  It  was  a  very  extraordinary  thing  for  a 
mere  stripling  to  succeed  in  persuading  Indians  to 
renounce  a  custom  so  fixed  and  so  suited  to  the  sav- 
igery  of  the  Indian  temper.  From  this  battle  dates 
the  beginning  of  Tecumseh's  renown  as  a  brave.  In 


56  TECUMSEH. 

hunting,  which  is  the  chief  occupation  of  an  Indian, 
he  early  became  famous. 

About  1787,  when  he  could  not  have  been  more 
than  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  and  his  brother  Chee- 
seekau,  with  a  party  of  Kiscopokes — moved  no  doubt 
by  the  impulse  to  wander  which  was  so  strong  in  all 
of  the  Shawnees — started  westward  on  an  expedition 
in  search  of  adventure. 

They  stopped  for  some  time  on  the  Mississinewa 
River,  in  what  is  now  the  north-eastern  part  of  In 
diana.  Here  the  young  men  were  near  home.  After 
some  months,  growing  bolder  or  more  vagrant  in 
disposition,  they  crossed  the  country  westward  and 
encamped  on  the  Mississippi,  opposite  the  mouth  of 
Apple  Creek.  After  remaining  for  eight  or  nine 
months,  they  started  toward  the  country  of  the  Che- 
rokees,  traveling  to  the  south  through  Illinois  to  the 
Ohio  River,  where  they  engaged  in  a  buffalo  hunt, 
in  which  Tecumseh  was  thrown  from  his  horse  and 
had  his  thigh  broken.  This  accident  detained  them 
for  several  months  opposite  Fort  Massac.  After  his 
recovery  they  continued  their  wanderings  southward 
under  the  lead  of  Cheeseekau.  On  their  arrival  in 
the  Cherokee  country  they  found  that  tribe  at  war 
with  the  whites.  With  true  Shawnee  love  of  battle 
and  adventure,  they  offered  to  join  the  Cherokees  in 
their  attack  on  a  fort,  the  name  of  which  is  unknown, 


EARLY  BATTLES  OF  TECUMSE1I.  57 

A  day  or  two  before  the  assault  took  place,  if  we 
may  believe  the  story,  Cheeseekau  made  a  speech  to 
his  followers,  in  which  he  predicted  that  at  a  certain 
hour  on  a  certain  morning  they  would  reach  the  fort, 
and  he  would  be  shot  in  the  forehead  and  killed.  He 
told  them  that  they  would  succeed  in  the  attack, 
however,  if  they  persevered.  They  tried  to  induce 
him  to  turn  back  from  the  undertaking,  but  he  re 
fused.  Cheeseekau  was  killed  according  to  his  pre 
sentiment  He  fell  with  true  Shawnee  fanaticism,  re 
joicing  that  it  was  his  lot  to  die  in  battle,  and  saying 
that  he  did  not  want  to  be  buried  at  home  like  an  old 
woman,  but  preferred  that  the  fowls  of  the  air  should 
pick  his  bones.  The  Indians,  always  superstitious, 
were  panic-stricken,  and  fled  in  spite  of  the  attempts 
of  Tecumseh  and  the  Cherokee  leaders  to  rally  them. 

The  young  Tecumseh  had  not  yet  had  enough  of 
this  adventurous  life.  He  remained  in  the  South 
nearly  two  years.  After  his  brother's  death  he  seems 
naturally  to  have  taken  the  lead  of  his  party.  He 
told  them  that  he  was  determined  not  to  return  to 
his  own  country  until  he  had  done  something  worthy 
of  being  told.  So  he  took  with  him  eight  or  ten  men, 
and  going  to  the  nearest  settlement  he  attacked  a 
house,  killed  all  the  men,  and  took  the  women  and 
children  prisoners. 

Such  is  the  adventure  which  an  Indian  could  re- 
3' 


$8  TECUMSEIl. 

count  with  pride  around  the  camp-fire  on  his  return 
home.  Tecumseh  visited  many  of  the  Southern 
tribes  at  this  time,  probably  learning  something  of 
their  languages,  and  gaining  acquaintance  and  a  rep 
utation  among  them  as  a  brave,  which  was  of  use  in 
his  visit  to  them  in  after  life,  when  he  was  forming 
his  great  confederacy.  During  the  whole  time  he 
led  a  daring  life,  joining  in  many  forays  of  the 
Southern  tribes.  His  encampment  was  three  times 
attacked  in  the  night,  but  so  great  was  his  careful 
ness,  and  so  excellent  his  judgment  in  the  choice  of 
a  camping-ground,  that  no  advantage  was  gained 
over  him.  At  one  time  a  party  of  thirty  whites 
attacked  him.  Tecumseh,  who  had  not  yet  laid 
down,  was  dressing  some  meat.  He  was  on  his  feet 
in  an  instant,  and  ordered  his  little  band  to  follow 
him.  Under  Tecumseh's  lead,  they  rushed  boldly 
upon  the  Avhites  and  killed  two,  putting  the  rest  to 
flight  by  the  sheer  impetuosity  of  their  charge,  with 
out  the  loss  of  a  man.  Tecumseh  at  last  set  out  for 
his  own  country  with  eight  followers.  On  their 
homeward  journey  they  went  through  Western  Vir 
ginia.  Crossing  the  Ohio  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Scioto  River,  they  visited  the  Machachac  villages  on 
Mad  River ;  thence  they  went  to  the  Auglaize, 
which  they  reached  in  the  fall  of  1790,  having  been 
absent  from  Ohio  for  three  years. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DEFEAT  OF  HARMER  AND  ST.  CLAIR. 

IF  Tecumseh  had  a  budget  of  adventure  to  relata 
to  his  friends  around  the  camp-fires,  the  Indians  in 
Ohio  had,  on  their  part,  the  fresh  news  of  a  great 
victory  to  recount  Just  preceding  Tecumseh's 
return,  a  battle  between  General  Harmcr  and  the 
Indians  had  been  fought.  It  was  now  seven  years 
since  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  but  the 
English  still  held  posts  in  the  Western  country.  It 
had  been  stipulated,  when  the  independence  of  the 
United  States  was  acknowledged  by  Great  Britain, 
that  Americans  should  be  held  responsible  for  debts 
due  to  British  subjects,  which  had  been  contracted 
before  the  war  and  repudiated  after  the  Revolution 
began.  But  under  the  earlier  form  of  government, 
the  United  States  could  not  enforce  the  collection  of 
these  debts  in  opposition  to  statutes  enacted  by  the 
several  States  to  defeat  the  British  creditor.  This 
failure  of  our  government  to  comply  with  one  of  the 
stipulations  of  the  treaty  gave  the  British  govern- 
nent  a  pretext  for  refusing  to  surrender  the  frontier 
posts,  the  holding  of  which  kept  the  profitable  fur 


60  TKCUMSEH. 

trade  in  the  hands  of  English  traders.  These  posts 
were  not  surrendered  until  a  new  treaty  had  been 
made,  in  1794.  Meantime  the  presence  of  this  semi- 
hostile  military  power,  and  of  the  English  traders, 
kept  the  Indians  in  a  state  of  constant  enmity  to  the 
growing  American  settlements  at  the  West. 

Harmer  had  been  sent  into  the  West  at  the  head 
of  about  three  hundred  Federal  troops  and  ovei 
eleven  hundred  Kentucky  volunteers.  The  sole 
object  of  this  expedition  was  to  penetrate  into  the 
Miami  country  and  to  destroy  the  corn-fields  of  the 
Indians.  This  it  accomplished  successfully ;  and  had 
it  attempted  nothing  more,  all  would  have  been  well. 
The  forces  were  about  to  return,  when  some  In 
dians  were  seen.  Colonel  Hardin,  the  commander 
of  the  Kentucky  troops,  was  sent  out  in  pursuit,  with 
a  small  detachment.  He  followed  the  enemy  for  six 
miles  directly  into  a  trap.  The  Indians  had  retreated, 
and  after  dividing  themselves  into  two  parties,  had 
countermarched  at  some  distance  on  either  side  of 
their  own  trail,  and  then  approached  it,  concealing 
themselves  in  the  tall  grass.  When  Colonel  Hardin 
and  his  men  had  walked  into  this  snare,  the  savages 
suddenly  appeared  on  all  sides  and  fired  upon  the 
troops.  Hardin  bravely  tried  to  rally  his  panic- 
stricken  men,  but  the  Indians  were  greatly  superior 
in  numbers  to  this  detachment,  and  they  charged 


DEFEAT  OF  HARMER  AND  ST.  CLAIR.  6 1 

upon  the  soldiers  with  gun  and  tomahawk,  destroying 
all  but  those  who  saved  themselves  by  flight 

Two  days  later  the  army  again  set  out  on  its  re 
turn.  After  marching  about  ten  miles  from  the 
ruined  villages,  Harmer  sent  back  Colonel  Hardin 
with  a  detachment  of  four  or  five  hundred  militia 
and  about  sixty  regulars  to  the  principal  towns, 
where  he  supposed  the  scattered  Indians  would 
gather  on  the  departure  of  the  troops.  But  by  this 
movement  Harmer  again  foolishly  divided  his  army. 
There  were  only  a  few  Indians  found  at  the  village, 
however,  who  fled  on  being  attacked.  The  undis 
ciplined  militia,  eager  for  revenge,  rushed  off  with 
out  orders  in  pursuit  of  them,  leaving  the  regulars  at 
the  village.  It  was  for  some  such  subdivision  that 
the  wily  savages  were  waiting.  No  sooner  were 
the  regular  troops  left  alone  than  an  immense  num 
ber  of  Indians  rose  from  an  ambuscade.  A  fierce 
battle  followed,  the  enraged  Indians  throwing  aside 
guns  and  fighting  with  tomahawks,  and  the  Amer 
icans  with  their  bayonets,  with  which  they  made 
great  havoc  in  the  Indian  ranks  for  a  time.  The 
savages  greatly  outnumbered  them,  however,  and 
these  brave  troops  and  their  commander,  Major 
Willis,  were  slain  almost  to  the  very  last  man. 
The  militia  had  been  recalled,  but  though  they 
fought  a  brave  battle,  and  themselves  suffered  con- 


62  TECUMSEH. 

siderable  loss,  they  were  too  late  to  relieve  the  reg- 
ulars.  They  retired  at  last  in  good  order  before 
the  superior  numbers  of  the  savages,  who  attacked 
their  ranks  "like  demons." 

In  this  victory  over  General  Harmer,  Blue  Jacket, 
an  influential  Shawnee  chief,  and  Little  Turtle,  a 
chief  of  the  Miamis,  commanded  the  Indians. 

The  year  following  Tecumseh's  return  he  spent 
in  hunting.  In  the  fall  of  1791,  news  reached 
the  Indians  that  General  St.  Clair  was  preparing  to 
march  into  their  country.  The  young  warrior  Te- 
cumsch  was  sent  out  with  a  party  of  spies  to  watch 
the  movements  of  this  new  expedition.  St.  Clair, 
a  brave  and  veteran  soldier,  began  his  march  cau 
tiously  at  the  head  of  fourteen  hundred  troops. 
Two  forts  were  erected  about  forty  miles  apart,  on 
the  route,  for  places  of  deposit,  and  to  secure  safety 
in  case  of  retreat.  While  Tecumseh  and  his  party 
were  lying  on  Nettle  Creek,  a  stream  which  flows 
ento  the  Great  Miami,  St.  Clair  passed  out  through 
Greenville  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Wabash.  In 
this  way  it  happened  that  Tecumseh,  acting  as  a 
scout,  did  not  participate  in  the  battle  itself. 

General  St.  Clair,  who  had  no  skill  in  Indian  war 
fare,  was  suddenly,  at  a  moment  when  he  fancied 
himself  secure,  attacked  on  all  sides  by  an  over 
whelming  force  of  Indians,  who  had  long  been 


DEFEAT  OF  HARMER  AND  ST.  CLAIR.  63 

hanging  upon  his  flanks,  and  had  thus  become 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  numbers  and  dis 
position  of  his  troops.  The  soldiers  fought  bravely, 
but  seeing  themselves  environed  on  all  sides  by 
countless  hordes  of  savages,  they  became  panic- 
stricken  and  fled,  pursued  by  the  Indians,  who  filled 
the  air  with  demoniac  yells,  while  they  killed  all  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on.  Weary  with  slaughter, 
they  turned  back  at  last  to  enjoy  the  plunder  of 
the  deserted  camp. 

The  troops  had  been  formed  in  close  order;  a 
plan  which  was  always  bad,  and  which  was  wholly 
given  up  in  Indian  warfare  after  this  disaster.  The 
close  order  of  the  whites  gave  the  Indians  a  great 
advantage,  and  St.  Clair's  loss  in  this  defeat  amounted 
to  nearly  eight  hundred,  while  it  is  supposed  that 
the  Indian  loss  did  not  much  exceed  ten  men.  The 
whole  country  was  plunged  into  grief  and  conster 
nation  by  this  overthrow  of  an  army  regarded  a? 
well-nigh  invincible. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SKIRMISHES  WITH  THE  WHITES— TECUMSEH 
AND   KENTON. 

IN  the  month  of  December,  1792,  Tecumseh  was 
encamped  with  ten  warriors  and  a  boy,  near  a  place 
called  Big  Rock.  As  the  party  sat  smoking  around 
their  camp-fire,  early  in  the  morning,  they  were 
suddenly  fired  upon  by  a  company  of  whites  of 
nearly  three  times  their  number,  under  command 
of  Robert  McClelland.  Tecumseh  instantly  gave 
the  war-whoop,  and  the  Indians  sprang  to  their 
feet  and  returned  the  fire.  lie  told  the  boy  to  run, 
but  looking  around  saw  Black  Turkey,  one  of  his 
warriors,  running  also.  Tecumseh  angrily  called 
him  back,  and  although  he  was  a  hundred  yards 
away  when  Tecumseh  saw  him,  he  obeyed  the  order 
and  joined  in  the  fight.  Two  whites  were  killed,  of 
whom  one  was  slain  by  Tecumseh  himself.  McClel- 
land's  party  retreated,  and  while  following  them  Te 
cumseh  broke  the  trigger  to  his  gun,  and  then  gave 
0"er  the  pursuit.  The  Indians  came  off  with  a  loss 


SKIRMISHES  WITH  THE   WHITES.  6$ 

of  but  two  wounded,  one  of  whom  was  the  runaway, 
Black  Turkey. 

In  Tecumseh's  next  adventures  he  came  into  con 
flict  with  Simon  Kenton,  one  of  the  most  famous  of 
all  the  frontier  men  and  Indian  fighters.  In  March, 
1792,  some  horses  were  stolen  from  settlements  in 
Kentucky  by  Indians.  A  party  of  thirty-six  whites 
immediately  gathered  to  pursue  the  marauders,  and 
of  this  party  Kenton  was  the  leader.  Following  the 
trail  of  the  Indians  they  crossed  the  Ohio  River  by 
means  of  rafts,  and  continued  to  follow  the  Indian 
trail  all  the  next  day  in  bad  weather  and  over  wet 
ground.  The  following  morning  twelve  men  were 
permitted  to  return,  being  unable  to  continue  the 
pursuit.  The  remaining  twenty-four  still  followed 
the  trail  until  about  eleven  in  the  morning,  when 
they  heard  the  tinkling  of  a  bell,  such  as  the  frontier 
men  were  accustomed  to  tie  on  the  necks  of  their 
horses.  Supposing  themselves  to  be  near  an  Indian 
encampment,  all  unnecessary  articles  of  clothing  and 
baggage  were  laid  aside,  and  two  detachments  sent 
ahead  to  reconnoiter.  The  scouts  advancing  found 
that  the  sound  of  the  bell  was  coming  nearer.  A  halt 
was  ordered,  and  the  whites  saw  a  solitary  Indian  ap 
proaching  them.  He  was  dispatched,  and  the  scouts 
were  again  sent  forward  by  Kenton,  who  felt  sure  of 
finding  an  Indian  encampment  close  at  hand.  This 


66  TECUMSEH. 

they  soon  discovered  on  a  fork  of  the  Little  Miami, 
But  the  Indian  force  appeared  to  be  so  large  that  on 
calling  a  council  it  was  thought  best  to  retire  until 
night  came  on,  if  a  retreat  could  be  effected  with 
out  discovery.  This  was  clone,  two  scouts  being 
left  to  watch  the  enemy's  camp.  At  night,  the  men 
being  wet  and  cold,  the  party  was  marched  into  a 
ravine,  where  a  fire  could  be  built  without  danger  of 
discovery  by  means  of  the  smoke. 

The  men  were  then  divided  into  three  divisions, 
which  were  to  attack  the  Indians  simultaneously. 
They  had  approached  very  near  the  camp  when  an 
Indian  rose  and  stirred  the  fire.  For  fear  of  discov 
ery  he  was  instantly  shot,  and  the  attack  began.  The 
whites  had  chosen  "  Boone "  for  their  watchword. 
This  choice  of  a  watchword  was  unfortunate,  for 
Boone's  was  a  name  which  the  savages  had  many 
good  reasons  for  knowing,  and  which  was  indeed 
quite  as  familiar  to  their  ears  as  to  those  of  the  whites. 
The  attack  was  made  after  midnight,  and  it  was  very 
dark.  In  a  few  moments  the  whites  and  Indians 
were  mingled  together;  wild  and  confusing  cries  of 
"Boone,"  and  "Che  Boone,"  rrose  on  all  sides  from 
both  parties.  Kenton  expected  the  Indians  to  be 
panic-stricken  at  the  first  dash  of  a  night  attack,  but 
the  presence  of  Tecumseh  had  prevented  this.  At 
the  first  alarm  he  had  rushed  forward  and  killed  a 


SKIRMISHES  WITH  THE  WHITES.  6? 

white  man  with  his  war-club,  and  his  presence  of 
mind  and  the  confidence  of  the  Indians  in  his  leader 
ship  quite  defeated  Kenton's  hopes.  By  some  it  is 
said  that  Kenton  discovered  another  camp  on  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  river,  but  that  account  is  the 
more  probable  which  tells  how  in  the  melee  an  In 
dian  fell  into  the  water;  the  splashing  which  he 
made  led  the  whites  to  believe  that  reinforcements 
were  coming.  Kenton  accordingly  ordered  a  retreat 
after  a  few  minutes  of  fighting.  They  were  pursued 
by  the  Indians  through  the  remainder  of  the  night 
and  a  part  of  the  next  day. 

On  the  day  previous  to  this  battle  one  of  the  white 
men  had  succeeded  in  catching  an  Indian  horse, 
which  he  had  tied  in  the  rear  of  the  camp.  When  a 
retreat  was  ordered  he  mounted  this  horse  and  rode 
off.  Early  the  following  morning  Tecumseh  and 
four  of  his  men  started  out  in  pursuit  of  the  retreat 
ing  Kentuckians.  Discovering  this  man's  trail,  they 
followed  him,  and  at  last  came  upon  him  where  he 
had  stopped  to  cook  some  meat.  He  fled  at  sight 
of  the  Indians,  two  of  whom  with  Tecumseh  pursued 
him.  Seeing  that  they  would  inevitably  overtake 
him,  he  turned  and  aimed  his  gun  at  them.  The 
two  Indians  who  were  in  advance  of  Tecumseh  im 
mediately  sprang  behind  trees,  but  Tecumseh  rushed 
up  and  took  him  prisoner.  He  was  tied  and  taken 


68  TECUMSEII. 

back  to  camp.  Tecumseh  then  asked  some  of  the 
Indians  to  catch  the  horses,  but  as  they  seemed  un 
willing  to  do  it,  he  went  himself  with  one  other. 

When  he  returned  to  the  camp,  he  found  that  his 
men  had  killed  the  prisoner.  At  this  he  was  very 
indignant,  angrily  denouncing  it  as  cowardly  to  kill 
a  helpless  captive.  In  this  matter  of  the  treatment 
of  prisoners,  he  was  always  far  more  humane  than 
the  savages,  and  indeed  more  humane  than  many 
of  the  white  settlers. 

Tecumseh's  next  skirmish  was  with  another  party 
under  Kenton.  In  1793,  a  party  of  thirty-three  men 
was  formed  to  cut  off  some  Indians  who  had  attack 
ed  settlements  in  Kentucky,  and  were  returning 
through  Ohio  with  their  prisoners.  In  this  expedi 
tion  Kenton  commanded  one  of  the  three  divisions 
into  which  the  small  party  were  divided.  After 
crossing  the  Ohio  River,  they  encamped  near  Paint 
Creek.  Soon  after  their  halt  for  the  night,  a  noise 
was  heard,  and  an  Indian  camp  was  discovered  close 
at  hand.  This  camp  was  not  that  of  the  marauders, 
but  of  Tecumseh,  who  with  a  few  followers,  accom 
panied  by  their  women  and  children,  was  engaged 
in  hunting  on  the  banks  of  this  creek.  The  whites 
reconnoitered  and  found  that  the  Indian  horses  were 
between  them  and  the  Indian  camp.  It  was  decided 
that  no  attack  should  be  made  on  the  Indians  untij 


SKIRMISHES  WITH  THE  WHITES.  69 

it  should  be  light  enough  to  shoot  accurately.  The 
plan  was  for  each  of  the  three  bodies  of  men  to  place 
themselves  on  different  sides  of  the  encampment, 
which  would  then  be  guarded,  as  the  creek  was  on 
the  fourth  side.  The  Kentuckians  marched  to  the 
enemy's  camp  very  early.  Before  two  of  the  parties 
had  reached  their  positions,  a  dog  barked  among 
the  Indians,  and  a  gun  was  fired.  On  this  alarm, 
the  whites  instantly  began  their  attack,  the  men 
rushing  to  their  positions ;  but  the  plan  was  entirely 
deranged  by  the  first  party's  having  taken  the  wrong 
side  of  the  camp.  It  is  said  that  Tecumseh  called 
out  to  his  warriors,  of  whom  their  were  but  six  or 
seven,  that  the  women  and  children  must  be  defend 
ed.  The  Indians  sent  back  the  battle  cry,  and  in 
stantly  "treed,"  in  Western  parlance — that  is,  con 
cealed  themselves  behind  trees.  It  was  still  quite 
dark,  and  a  good  deal  of  random  shooting  and  much 
Indian  shouting  was  done  with  little  effect.  At  this 
time  Tecumseh  sent  some  of  his  men  around  to  the 
rear  of  the  whites  to  get  the  horses ;  these  were 
brought  to  the  front  without  discovery,  and  the  In- 
dians  all  quickly  mounted  and  rode  away,  carrying 
with  them  their  only  wounded  man,  a  white  man  by 
the  name  of  John  Ward.  He  had  been  captured 
when  three  years  old  by  the  Indians,  among  whom 
he  had  grown  up,  married,  and  raised  several  chil- 


70  TECUMSEH. 

dren.  Curiously  enough,  he  was  the  brother  of 
one  of  the  men  associated  in  this  expedition  with 
Simon  Kenton.  John  Ward  died  of  the  wound  re 
ceived  in  this  fight.  So  strange  were  the  vicksitudes 
of  border  life  in  that  day 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

• 

A  SKETCH  OF  SIMON  KENTON. 

SIMON  KENTON  lived  one  of  the  most  eventful 
of  lives,  and  there  is  no  frontier  man  whose  adven 
tures  give  us  a  more  vivid  picture  of  border  warfare, 
and  of  the  relations  of  the  settlers  and  Indians  at  the 
time  of  Tecumseh's  advent,  than  his.  In  the  present 
chapter,  therefore,  we  turn  aside  from  Tecumseh  to 
give  a  sketch  of  some  incidents  in  the  life  of  one  who 
was  several  times  his  antagonist.  Kenton  fled  from 
Virginia  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  in  consequence  of 
a  fight  with  a  young  man  who  was  his  rival  in  the 
affections  of  a  country  belle.  The  girl  had  been 
unable  to  decide  between  the  two ;  or  what  is  more 
likely,  had  preferred  the  glory  of  having  her  lovers 
fight  it  out  Kenton  was  but  sixteen  when  the  fight 
took  place,  and,  owing  to  foul  play  on  the  part  of 
the  friends  of  his  robust  rival,  he  had  been  beaten. 
A  year  after  he  sought  another  fight,  in  which  his 
antagonist,  after  throwing  him,  kicked  and  taunted 
him  brutally.  He  however  managed  in  the  moment 
of  his  humiliation  to  tie  his  enemy's  hair,  which  was 
very  long,  to  some  brush,  after  which  he  beat  him 


72  TECUMSEII. 

most  unmercifully.  Believing  that  the  man  would 
die  from  the  effects  of  the  beating,  Kenton  fled  to  the 
West  and  assumed  the  name  of  Butler.  Here  he 
l-ecame  renowned  as  a  hunter  and  Indian  fighter. 
One  of  his  adventures  will  illustrate  the  character 
of  the  backwoodsman  and  that  of  the  ordinary 
Indian,  who  was  quite  different  from  the  exceptional 
man  like  Tecumseh. 

About  1 777,  Kenton,  who  was  acting  as  a  scout 
under  Boone,  was  sent  in  this  capacity  with  two 
other  men  to  a  Shawnee  town  on  the  Little  Miami.  In 
this  adventure,  the  spies  made  off  with  a  number  of 
Indian  horses.  They  were  discovered  and  chased  by 
the  Indians.  The  captured  horses  were  led  by  two 
men,  who  rode  in  front,  while  the  other  one  rode 
in  the  rear,  lashing  the  horses  with  a  whip  to  keep 
them  up  to  time.  They  dashed  through  the  woods 
thus,  hearing  behind  them  the  cries  of  the  pursuing 
Indians.  They  rode  forward,  aiming  a  straight 
course  for  the  Ohio  River,  during  the  whole  night, 
without  stopping  to  rest,  and  after  halting  but 
a  short  time  in  the  morning,  traveled  all  that  day 
and  the  following  night.  They  thus  reached  the 
river  far  ahead  of  their  pursuers.  Its  waters,  how 
ever,  were  so  rough  that  it  was  impossible  to  force 
the  animals  to  cross.  They  were  unwilling  to  let 
them  go,  however,  in  order  to  save  their  own  lives. 


SIMON   KENTON.  l  73 

"Death  or  captivity  might  be  tolerated,  but  the  loss 
of  so  beautiful  a  lot  of  horses,  after  having  worked 
so  hard  for  them,  was  not  to  be  thought  of." 

The  Indians  were  upon  them  at  the  close  of  twen 
ty-four  hours  which  they  had  wasted  on  this  spot. 
Kenton's  gun  flashed  when  he  fired,  and  he  tried  to 
save  himself  by  running  through  the  woods,  but  an 
Indian  soon  galloped  up  near  him,  extending  his 
hand  and  calling  out  affectionately,  "  Brother !  broth 
er  !"  Kenton  said  afterwards  that  if  his  gun,  which 
was  wet,  would  have  made  fire  he  would  have 
"  brothered  "  him  to  his  heart's  content.  Making 
him  promise  good  treatment,  however,  Kenton  sur 
rendered.  He  then  received  many  proofs  of  broth 
erly  kindness,  the  Indians  using  their  ramrods  over 
his  head  and  exclaiming  with  indignation,  "Steal 
Indian  hoss,  hey !  "  Meantime,  one  of  Kenton's 
friends  was  shot  while  bravely  riding  to  his  rescue, 
but  the  other  made  good  his  escape. 

The  captors  secured  their  prisoner  for  the  night  by 
forcing  him  to  lie  upon  his  back  and  putting  a  stout 
pole  across  his  breast,  to  which  they  fastened  hi? 
wrists  with  thongs  made  of  buffalo  hide.  His  feet 
were  then  made  fast  in  the  same  manner  to  stakes 
driven  into  the  ground.  A  halter  was  tied  around 
his  neck  and  secured  to  a  sapling  growing  near, 
Finally  a  strong  rope  was  passed  around  his  breast 

4 


74  TECUMSEH. 

and  tied  to  the  stick  to  which  his  arms  had  been  fas. 
tened,  his  elbows  also  being  tied  to  this  pole.  While 
this  operation  was  being  performed  they  boxed  his 
ears  soundly,  calling  him  "  A  tief !  a  hoss  steal !  a 
rascal!"  and  swearing  profusely  at  the  same  time. 
For,  as  the  author  of  "Western  Adventure"  says, 
"all  the  Western  Indians  had  picked  up  a  good 
many  English  words,  particularly  our  oaths,  which, 
from  the  frequency  with  which  they  were  used  by 
our  hunters  and  traders,  they  probably  looked  upon 
as  the  very  root  and  foundation  of  the  English  lan 
guage." 

The  Indians  with  their  prisoner  were  three  days 
in  reaching  their  village  of  Chillicothe.  During  the 
night  he  was  confined  in  the  way  described,  and  in 
the  day  time  was  tied,  for  their  amusement,  on  a 
fine,  wild,  and  entirely  unbroken  colt,  which  was  one 
of  the  horses  the  Indians  had  recovered  from  Ken- 
ton's  party. 

When  they  came  near  Chillicothe,  the  party  halted 
and  a  messenger  was  sent  forward  to  inform  the  vil 
lage  of  their  arrival.  A  chief  by  the  name  of  Black- 
fish  soon  came  to  meet  them.  He  regarded  Kenton 
severely. 

"You  have  been  stealing  horses?"  he  shouted,  iu 
good  English. 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Kenton, 


SIMON   KENTON.  ;5 

"  Did  Captain  Boone  tell  you  to  steal  our  horses?" 

demanded  the  chief. 

"No,  sir;  I  did  it  of  my  own  accord,"  said 
Kenton. 

This  enraged  Blackfish  so  that  he  applied  a 
hickory  stick  with  great  force  to  Kenton's  back 
and  shoulders. 

On  nearing  the  village  he  saw  all  the  inhabitants, 
men,  women,  and  children  down  to  the  smallest, 
running  to  meet  him.  He  was  now  greeted  with 
torrents  of  abuse,  and  demands  that  he  should  be 
immediately  tied  to  the  stake.  This  operation  was 
soon  performed,  the  squaws  assisting  in  it  They 
then  danced  around  him  until  midnight,  whooping 
and  yelling,  striking  him  freely  with  their  hands  and 
with  switches.  They  reserved  the  pleasure  of  burn 
ing  him,  however,  until  another  time. 

The  following  day  he  was  made  to  run  the  gaunt 
let  In  this  operation,  a  double  row  of  men,  women, 
and  boys  extended  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  each 
holding  some  instrument  of  torture,  such  as  clubs, 
switches,  hoe-handles,  and  tomahawks.  At  the  be 
ginning  of  the  line  stood  two  warriors  with  butcher- 
knives  in  their  hands,  while  at  the  end  an  Indian  was 
beating  a  drum.  A  little  beyond  the  drum  was 
the  council-house.  The  prisoner  is  forced  to  run  the 
length  of  this  line,  between  the  double  row  of  well- 


?6  TECUMSEIL 

applied  Indian  vengeance,  taking  refuge  in  the  couiu 
cil-house. 

The  race  being  over,  a  council  was  held  to  decide 
the  question  of  whether  the  prisoner  should  be  im 
mediately  burned  or  taken  first  to  the  other  villages 
and  exhibited  to  the  tribes.  The  warriors  sat  en 
tirely  silent,  in  a  ring  on  the  floor  of  the  council- 
house,  while  the  vote  was  taken.  The  manner  of  this 
was  to  pass  a  war-club  around  the  circle.  Those  who 
were  in  favor  of  postponing  the  execution  were  to 
pass  the  club  on  in  silence,  while  those  who  were 
"  contrary  minded  "  were  to  strike  it  violently  on  the 
ground. 

An  Indian,  furnished  with  a  knife  and  piece  of 
wood,  was  appointed  to  count  the  votes.  This  he 
did  by  making  a  mark  on  one  side  of  the  wood  for 
those  of  one  opinion,  arid  on  the  other  side  for  the 
other.  He  quickly  announced  that  the  execution 
was  postponed,  and  that  the  prisoner  was  to  be  taken 
to  a  village  called  Waughcotomoco.  Kenton  in 
quired  of  the  interpreter,  when  informed  of  this 
decision,  what  they  would  do  with  him  there.  He 
was  fiercely  informed  that  he  was  to  be  burned. 

On  the  way  to  Waughcotomoco,  Kenton  meditated 
an  escape.  He  thought  if  he  must  burn  anyway 
they  could  do  no  worse  to  him  if  he  were  recaptured 
He  could  not  make  up  his  mind  to  this  Jaring  act, 


SIMON  KENTON.  77 

however,  until  the  Indians  fired  their  guns  and  raised 
the  scalp  halloo,  which  was  answered  by  the  deep 
roll  of  a  drum  far  ahead.  With  a  loud  cry  Kenton 
fled  into  the  dense  woods.  He  was  instantly  pur 
sued,  but  so  swift  was  his  flight  that  he  would  have 
escaped  had  it  not  been  that  he  stumbled  into  the 
midst  of  another  war  party,  which  had  come  forth 
from  the  village  on  hearing  the  firing. 

At  this  village  of  Piqua,  Tecumseh's  birthplace, 
he  was  again  tied  to  the  stake,  the  warriors  assem 
bling  in  the  council-house.  After  their  debate  they 
surrounded  the  stake,  dancing  and  yelling  for  some 
hours. 

At  Waughcotomoeo  he  was  once  more  compelled 
to  run  the  gauntlet,  in  which  he  was  severely  hurt. 
He  was  then  taken  to  the  council-house,  where  his 
fate  was  to  be  decided.  He  was  sitting  dejectedly 
awaiting  his  death,  when  the  council-house  door 
opened,  and  Simon  Girty,  a  famous  outlaw  who  had 
joined  the  Indians,  and  excelled  them  in  savagery, 
appeared,  along  with  some  prisoners  and  scalps. 
Kenton  was  removed  from  the  council-house,  and 
after  some  hours  was  taken  back  and  informed  that 
his  fate  had  been  decided.  He  divined  from  the 
savage  scowls  of  the  Indians  on  his  entrance  that 
there  was  no  hope  for  him.  He  was  ordered  by 
Girty  to  seat  himself.  Kenton  seems  to  have  felt 


78  TECUMSEH. 

somewhat  stubborn  about  obeying  in  any  hurry  this 
renegade  white  man,  but  Girty  violently  jerked  him 
down. 

"  How  many  men  are  there  in  Kentucky  ?  "  de 
manded  Girty. 

"  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  answer  that  question,'1 
said  Kenton,  "  but  I  can  tell  you  the  number  of  offi 
cers,  and  you  can  judge  for  yourself." 

"Do  you  know  William  Stewart?"  was  the  next 
inquiry. 

"  Perfectly  well ;  he  is  an  old  and  intimate  acquaint 
ance,"  answered  the  prisoner. 

"  What  is  your  own  name  ?  " 

"  Simon  Butler,"  replied  Kenton. 

As  soon  as  Girty  heard  the  name  he  sprang  to 
his  feet  and  threw  his  arms  around  the  neck  of  the 
prisoner.  Previous  to  Simon  Girty's  desertion  of  the 
whites,  they  had  been  spies  together  in  Governor 
Dunmore's  expedition,  and  Girty  had  formed  a  warm 
attachment  for  Kenton. 

Girty  then  made  the  astonished  warriors  a  speech 
in  which  he  told  them  that  their  prisoner  "  was  his 
bosom  friend ;  that  they  had  traveled  the  same  war 
path,  slept  upon  the  same  blanket,  and  dwelt  in  the 
same  wigwam."  He  earnestly  pleaded  for  the  life  of 
his  friend.  Several  of  the  chiefs  expressed  their  ap 
proval  by  a  low  guttural  sound.  Many  others  disap- 


SIMON  KENTON.  79 

proved,  saying  they  would  be  acting  like  squaws  to 
change  their  mind  every  hour,  recounting  Kenton's 
misdemeanors,  and  pathetically  pleading  the  disap 
pointment  of  those  who  had  come  from  a  distance 
to  see  the  burning. 

Girty  again  urged  vehemently  his  request,  claim 
ing  it  as  the  reward  of  his  own  savage  loyalty  to 
the  Indian  cause  since  he  had  come  among  them. 

The  debate  lasted  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  then 
the  vote  was  taken.  Kenton,  who  a  few  hours  be 
fore  had  been  despairingly  resigned  to  his  fate,  now 
watched  with  the  greatest  excitement  the  war-club 
go  around.  He  saw  that  there  were  many  more 
who  passed  the  club  in  silence  than  those  who  struck 
the  ground  with  it. 

For  three  weeks  Kenton  lived  with  his  friend,  be 
ing  treated  with  great  kindness.  One  day,  however, 
the  war-whoop  was  heard,  and  they  were  obliged  to 
go  to  the  council-house — Kenton  with  dread  in  his 
heart,  having  a  great  dislike  to  all  council-houses. 
It  was  unusually  full,  many  chiefs  and  warriors  from 
a  distance  being  present  Kenton  saw  that  there 
was  an  ominous  look  on  the  faces  of  the  warriors. 
Girty  walked  around  the  room  offering  his  hand  to 
those  present,  and  it  was  received  with  cordiality, 
but  when  Kenton  offered  his  it  was  rejected  with 
scowls.  He  tried  six  Indians  in  this  way  anrl  then 


80  TECUMSEH. 

sat  down  in  utter  dejection.  A  warm  debate  fol 
lowed,  in  which  the  chiefs  from  a  distance  were 
stern  and  indignant,  and  Girty's  arguments  seemed 
to  have  little  influence.  He  at  last  turned  to  Ken- 
ton. 

"  Well,  my  friend,  you  must  die  \  "  said  he. 

The  prisoner  was  then  started  on  his  journey  with 
H  halter  around  his  neck.  When  they  had  gone 
some  distance,  Girty  passed  them  on  horseback,  tell 
ing  Kenton  he  had  friends  at  the  next  village  whom 
he  hoped  to  influence  in  his  favor.  Girty,  however, 
could  do  nothing,  and  returned  to  Waughcotomoco 
another  way,  not  wishing  to  see  his  friend  under  the 
circumstances. 

They  passed  through  the  next  village.  On  the 
road  Kenton  was  attacked  by  an  Indian,  who  had 
been  sitting  on  a  log  smoking  and  directing  his  wife 
in  her  labor  of  chopping,  but  who,  on  the  approach 
of  the  prisoner,  seized  the  ax  and  dealt  Kenton  such 
a  blow  as  to  wound  him  severely.  He  was  repri 
manded  by  those  Indians  who  accompanied  Kenton, 
for  trying  to  destroy  their  own  amusement  by  inter 
fering  with  their  right  to  kill  their  prisoner. 

They  stopped  at  a  village  on  the  head  waters  of 
the  Scioto.  Here  Kenton  saw  the  celebrated  Mingo 
chief,  Logan.  "  Logan's  form  was  striking  and 
manly,  his  countenance  calm  and  noble." 


SIMON  KENTON.  8 1 

"  Well,  young  man,  these  young  men  seem  to  be 
very  mad  at  you  !  "  said  Logan,  in  correct  English, 

"Yes,  sir,  they  certainly  are,"  answered  Kenton. 

"Well,  don't  be  disheartened,"  said  Logan.  "I 
am  a  great  chief.  You  are  to  go  to  Sandusky ;  they 
speak  of  burning  you  there,  but  I  will  send  two  run 
ners  to-morrow  to  speak  good  for  you." 

The  runners  were  sent,  and  during  their  absence 
Kenton  was  treated  with  kindness,  holding  many 
conversations  with  the  friendly  chief.  When  the  run 
ners  returned  they  were  closeted  with  Logan,  of 
whom  Kenton  saw  nothing  until  the  next  morning, 
when  the  chief  gave  him  a  piece  of  bread,  told  him 
that  he  was  to  go  instantly  to  Sandusky,  and  turned 
on  his  heel  and  walked  away.  At  this,  Kenton 
naturally  lost  all  hope. 

He  was  taken  to  Sandusky,  and  was  to  be  burned 
the  following  morning.  An  English  Indian  agent, 
however,  interceded  for  him  this  time,  saying  that 
he  wished  to  obtain  information  for  the  commandant 
at  Detroit.  The  Indians  were  much  opposed  to 
giving  up  their  victim,  and  it  was  only  with  the 
pleasant  promise  to  return  him  after  he  had  obtained 
the  information  that  the  agent  got  possession  of  Ken- 
ton.  At  Detroit  he  remained  a  prisoner,  though 
kindly  treated,  for  almost  a  year.  He  then  laid  a 
plan  to  escape  with  two  Kentuckians.  They  had 

4* 


82  TECUMSEIL 

to  pass  through  a  hundred  miles  of  country  filled 
with  hostile  Indians,  but  by  taking  a  circuitous 
route,  and  by  journeying  only  at  night,  they  arrived 
at  Louisville  after  thirty  days. 

In  this  strange  adventure  among  the  Shawnees, 
Simon  Kenton  was  forced  to  run  the  gauntlet  eight 
times,  and  was  three  times  tied  to  the  stake  to  be 
burned. 

Kenton  afterwards  rose  to  the  rank  of  general  in 
the  militia,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one,  in  a 
populous  country  filled  with  cities  and  manufactories, 
where  he  used  to  wander  as  a  hunter  and  warrior, 
and  through  whk1*  he  had  been  led  as  a  doomed 
captive, 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WAYNE'S  VICTORY  OVER  THE  INDIANS. 

THE  country  was  now  greatly  distressed  by  the 
Indian  war  on  the  frontier.  The  administration  of 
President  Washington  was  severely  condemned  by 
the  opposition  for  the  defeats  of  Harmar  and  St 
Clair.  The  treasury  was  so  low  that  the  money 
which  had  been  expended  on  these  expeditions — a 
large  amount  for  the  times — was  greatly  regretted. 
Those  who  had  any  liking  for  a  military  life  looked 
with  horror  upon  the  Indian  war.  Soldiers  came  to 
have  a  superstitous  dread  of  the  savages.  So  great 
indeed  was  this  dread  that  bare  intelligence  of  the 
approach  of  Indians  would  throw  them  into  a  panic. 
Under  these  circumstances,  General  Anthony  Wayne 
was  placed  in  command  of  the  North-Western  army. 
"  Mad  Anthony  Wayne,"  as  he  was  often  called, 
had  distinguished  himself  by  his  services  during  the 
Revolutionary  War,  in  which  he  had  fought  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end.  He  was  known  as  "  the  hero 
of  Stony  Point,"  he  having  stormed  the  fort  of  that 
name,  on  the  Hudson.  Washington  now  selected 
him  to  retrieve  the  fortunes  of  the  United  States  in 


84  TECUMSEH. 

her  Indian  wars,  and  impressed  upon  his  mind 
"that-  another  defeat  would  be  inexpressibly  ruinous 
to  the  reputation  of  the  government." 

The  troops  placed  under  General  Wayne  were 
new  and  undisciplined.  Without  sufficient  aid,  and 
with  the  greatest  labor,  he  set  out  to  instruct  them 
in  military  discipline,  and  to  practice  them  especially 
in  shooting  at  a  target,  knowing  that  marksmanship 
was  of  the  very  first  importance  in  Indian  warfare. 
He  stimulated  their  emulation  by  offering  prizes  to 
be  contended  for  in  these  rifle  matches.  He  was  also 
very  careful  to  keep  whisky,  which  he  called  "ardent 
poison,"  out  of  the  reach  of  his  camp. 

In  time  they  gave  their  commander  much  pleasure 
by  their  progress,  and  the  general  and  his  army 
were  impatient  to  be  engaged  in  active  service. 
This  was  not  yet  permitted,  the  government  be 
ing  anxious  to  make  peace  if  possible,  and  feeling 
very  cautious  about  risking  another  great  defeat 
Many  overtures  for  peace  were  made  through  Gen 
eral  Wayne,  but  the  Indians,  elated  by  their  brilliant 
successes,  and  encouraged  by  the  half-hostile  English 
authorities  in  Canada  and  in  the  Western  posts  yet 
held  by  the  British,  rejected  all  advances. 

Among  other  forts  built  by  Wayne,  one  was  erected 
^on  the  spot  of  General  St.  Glair's  defeat,  And  named 
Fort  Recovery. 


WAYNE'S  VICTORY.  85 

This  fort  was  attacked  in  the  summer  of  1794  by  a 
arge  body  of  Indians  of  various  tribes,  estimated  at 
more  than  fifteen  hundred.  One  of  the  Shawnees  in 
this  attack  was  Tecumseh.  The  savages  assailed  a 
body  of  ninety  riflemen  and  fifty  dragoons,  who  were 
starting  on  their  return  after  having  escorted  a  large 
amount  of  supplies  to  the  fort.  An  exciting  battle 
ensued,  in  which  many  of  the  officers  and  men  were 
killed  before  the  retreat  into  the  fort  could  be  effect 
ed.  After  the  troops  had  reached  the  fort,  two  offi 
cers  were  given  up  for  dead,  when  they  were  seen 
running  from  different  directions,  hotly  pursued  by 
the  Indians,  and  notwithstanding  the  fire  of  the  en 
emy  they  reached  the  fort  in  safety.  One  of  them 
had  escaped  by  knocking  down  an  Indian  who  had 
captured  him. 

The  savages  continued  the  attack  for  the  remain 
der  of  the  day,  losing  many  of  their  number  by  the 
artillery  fire  from  the  fort.  During  the  night  they 
carried  off  their  dead  by  the  light  of  torches,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  which  were  too  near  the  fort 
to  be  reached. 

The  attack  was  resumed  the  following  morning 
but  resulted  in  the  final  rout  of  the  Indians. 

Wayne  had  called  upon  the  governor  of  Kentucky 
for  two  thousand  mounted  volunteers.  In  July,  1794, 
they  arrived,  under  the  command  of  Major- General 


86  TECUMSEH. 

Scott  General  Wayne  now  made  demonstrations 
which  led  the  enemy  to  believe  that  he  intended  to 
attack  the  villages  on  the  Miami,  but  he  moved  sud 
denly  and  rapidly  into  the  very  heart  of  the  Indian 
settlements  on  the  Grand  Glaize.  These  lay  almost 
under  the  very  guns  of  one  of  the  frontier  forts  yet 
held  by  British  troops.  Full  of  exultation,  the  gen 
eral  wrote : — 

"  We  have  gained  possession  of  the  grand  empo 
rium  of  the  hostile  Indians  in  the  West  without  loss 
of  blood.  The  very  extensive  and  highly-cultivated 
fields  and  gardens  show  the  work  of  many  hands. 
The  margins  of  those  beautiful  rivers,  the  Miamis  of 
the  Lake  and  the  Au  Glaize,  appear  like  one  con 
tinued  village  for  a  number  of  miles  above  and  below 
this  place;  nor  have  I  ever  beheld  such  immense 
fields  of  corn  in  any  part  of  America  from  Canada 
to  Florida." 

Here — in  the  western  part  of  what  is  now  the 
State  of  Ohio — Wayne  built  a  fort,  and  named  it 
Defiance.  He  generously  made  one  more  offer  of 
peace  to  the  Indians.  In  writing  of  this,  he  adds : 
"But  should  war  be  their  choice,  that  blood  be 
upon  their  own  heads.  America  shall  no  longer  be 
insulted  with  impunity.  To  an  all-powerful  and  just 
God  I  therefore  commit  myself  and  gallant  army." 

The  Indians,  assembled  in  great  force,  held  a  coun- 


WAYNE'S  VICTORY.  87 

cil,  composed  of  Miami,  Pottawatomie,  Delaware, 
Shawnee,  Chippewa,  Ottawa,  and  Seneca  chiefs.  It 
was  proposed  to  attack  General  Wayne's  encamp 
ment  that  night.  This  was  decided  in  the  negative. 
The  plan  of  meeting  him  next  day  in  battle  was  then 
discussed.  The  Miami  chief,  .Little  Turtle,  was  much 
opposed  to  this,  and  favored  peace. 

"  We  have  beaten  the  enemy  twice  under  different 
commanders,"  said  he.  "  We  cannot  expect  the 
same  good  fortune  always  to  attend  us.  The  Ameri 
cans  are  now  led  by  a  chief  who  never  sleeps.  The 
night  and  the  day  are  alike  to  him ;  and  during  all 
the  time  that  he  has  been  marching  upon  our  vil 
lages,  notwithstanding  the  watchfulness  of  our  young 
men,  we  have  never  been  able  to  surprise  him. 
Think  well  of  it.  There  is  something  whispers  me, 
it  would  be  prudent  to  listen  to  his  offers  of  peace." 

The  Shawnee  chief  Blue  Jacket,  who  had  entire 
command  of  the  Indians  in  the  ensuing  battle,  was 
strongly  in  favor  of  giving  battle.  His  influence 
prevailed  over  the  wiser  advice  of  Little  Turtle.  In 
the  morning  General  Wayne  advanced,  not  yet  sure 
whether  th«  Indians  intended  to  fight  or  not.  A  body 
of  his  men  were  soon  fired  on,  however,  by  the  In 
dians  who  were  secreted  in  the  woods  and  tall  grass. 
Tecumseh,  already  distinguished  as  a  brave,  led  a 
party  of  Shawnees.  At  the  beginning  of  the  action 


88  TECUMSEH. 

he  and  two  of  his  brothers  were  in  the  advance  guard 
Wayne  found  the  ground  covered  with  fallen  trees, 
probably  the  result  of  a  tornado.  This  was  partic 
ularly  favorable  to  the  Indian  mode  of  fighting. 

Jn  General  Wayne's  own  account  of  the  battle,  he 
says  that  the  Indians  "  were  formed  in  three  lines, 
within  supporting  distance  of  each  other,  and  extend 
ing  nearly  two  miles,  at  right  angles  with  the  river." 
He  adds :  "  I  soon  discovered  from  the  weight  of 
the  fire,  and  the  extent  of  then  lines,  that  the  enemy 
were  in  full  force  in  front,  in  possession  of  their  favor- 
ite  ground,  and  endeavoring  to  turn  our  left  flank.  I 
therefore  gave  order  for  the  second  line  in  advance 
"./>  support  the  first,  and  directed  Major-General  Scott 
to  gain  and  turn  the  right  flank  of  the  savages,  with 
the  whole  of  the  mounted  volunteers,  by  a  circuitous 
route.  At  the  same  time  I  ordered  the  front  line  to 
advance  with  trailed  arms,  and  to  rouse  the  Indians 
from  their  coverts,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet ;  and, 
when  up,  to  deliver  a  close  and  well-directed  fire  on 
their  backs,  followed  by  a  brisk  charge,  so  as  not  to 
give  time  to  load  again.  I  also  ordered  Captain  Mis 
Campbell,  who  commanded  the  legionary  cavalry,  to 
turn  the  left  flank  of  the  enemy  next  the  river,  and 
which  afforded  a  favorable  ground  for  that  corps  to 
act  in.  All  these  orders  were  obeyed  with  spirit  and 
promptitude ;  but  such  was  the  impetuosity  of  the 


WAYNE'S  VICTORY.  89 

charge  by  the  first  line  of  infantry,  that  the  Indians 
and  Canadian  militia  and  volunteers  were  driven  from 
all  their  coverts  in  so  short  a  time,  that  although 
every  exertion  was  used  by  the  officers  of  the  second 
line  of  the  legion,  and  by  Generals  Scott,  Todd,  and 
Barbee,  of  the  mounted  volunteers,  to  gain  their 
proper  positions,  yet  but  a  part  of  them  could  get  up 
in  season  to  participate  in  the  action ;  the  enemy 
being  driven,  in  the  course  of  one  hour,  more  than 
two  miles,  through  the  thick  woods,  by  less  than 
one-half  their  numbers." 

During  this  battle  Tecumseh  fought  for  some  time, 
when  in  loading  his  rifle  he  put  a  bullet  in  before  the 
powder  and  thus  lost  the  use  of  his  gun.  He  was  at 
the  same  time  forced  to  retreat  by  some  infantry 
which  pressed  him  in  front.  This  he  did  with  his 
party  until  he  met  another  company  of  Indians, 
whom  he  urged  to  stand  fast,  saying  if  any  one 
would  lend  him  a  gun  he  would  show  them  how 
to  do  it.  With  a  fowling-piece  which  was  handed 
him  he  fought  a  while,  until  again  compelled  to 
give  ground.  This  time,  while  falling  back,  he  met 
a  party  of  Shawnees  whom  he  rallied  and  induced  to 
make  a  stand  in  a  thicket.  When  the  infantry  press 
ed  them  close  and  fired  their  muskets  into  the 
bushes,  Tecumseh's  party  returned  the  fire,  and  then 
retreated  to  the  main  force  of  the  Indians.  A 


90  TECUMSEH. 

brother  of  Tecumseh's,  named  Sauwaseekau,  a  brave 
warrior,  was  killed  during  the  day. 

In  this  famous  battle  Tecumseh  was  for  the  first 
time  opposed  to  William  Henry  Harrison,  who  was 
afterward  to  become  his  chief  antagonist  Harrison 
was  then  a  young  man  of  about  Tecumseh's  own 
age.  Neither  of  them  had  any  part  in  the  plan  of 
the  battle,  but  both  acted  their  parts  well.  An  im 
mense  destruction  of  Indian  villages  and  corn-fields 
followed  the  victory  of  General  Wayne. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  PEACE  AT  GREENVILLE—BLUE  JACKET. 

FORT  MIAMI,  the  British  fort  which  stood  in  the 
midst  of  these  Indian  villages,  was  a  great  provoca 
tion  to  the  American  troops,  who  knew  well  thai 
the  presence  of  an  English  force  was  one  of  the 
chief  causes  of  trouble.  General  Wayne  made  a  re- 
connoissance  in  force  under  the  very  walls  of  the  fort, 
and  the  English  officers  with  difficulty  restrained 
their  men  from  firing  on  him.  Some  angry  corre 
spondence  ensued  between  the  two  commanders,  but 
"  Mad  Anthony  Wayne  "  was  a  man  of  coolness  and 
self-control,  and  he  could  easily  see  that  it  was  not 
wise  to  plunge  the  infant  nation  into  a  new  war  with 
the  mother  country.  And,  notwithstanding  his  cour 
age,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  powerful  arma 
ment  of  Fort  Miami  helped  him  to  a  prudent  decision 
in  the  matter.  To  have  assailed  so  strong  a  work  a? 
this  with  the  means  at  his  disposal,  would  have  been 
to  have  risked  all  the  fruits  of  his  victory  in  a  most 
desperate  venture. 

The  Indians  were  beaten  and  anxious  for  peace. 
In  October,  Blue  Jacket,  the  Shawnee,  headed  a 


92  TECUMSEH. 

deputation  of  chiefs,  for  the  purpose  of  bearing  a  flag 
to  General  Wayne.  English  agents  intercepted  this 
flag  by  inviting  the  chiefs  of  the  combined  army  to 
meet  them  at  the  mouth  of  the  Detroit  River.  Here 
they  were  urged  to  remain  in  hostility  to  the  United 
States.  In  a  speech  to  them,  Governor  Simcoe  said : — • 

"  CHILDREN  :  I  am  still  of  the  opinion  that  the 
Ohio  is  your  right  and  title.  I  have  given  orders  to 
the  commandant  of  Fort  Miami  to  fire  on  the  Amer 
icans  whenever  they  make  their  appearance  again. 
I  will  go  down  to  Quebec,  and  lay  your  grievances 
before  the  great  men.  From  thence  they  will  be  for 
warded  to  the  King,  your  father.  Next  spring  you 
will  know  the  result  of  everything  what  you  and  I 
will  do." 

The  English  in  Canada  did  not  know  at  what  mo 
ment  hostilities  might  break  out  again  between  Eng 
land  and  the  United  States,  and  they  succeeded  by 
such  persuasions  in  delaying  the  conclusion  of  peace 
between  the  Indians  and  the  Americans. 

During  the  following  winter,  however,  parties  of 
Wyandots,  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  Pottawatomies,  Sacu, 
Miamis,  Delawares,  and  Shawnees  visited  General 
Wayne's  headquarters,  where  they  signed  preliminary 
treaties  of  peace,  agreeing  to  meet  Wayne  at  Green 
ville  in  June,  with  all  their  sachems  and  war-chiefs, 
to  conclude  a  definite  treaty  of  peace. 


THE  PEACE  AT  GREENVILLE.  93 

This  treaty  of  Greenville  was  of  the  greatest  im 
portance  to  the  Western  country.  By  it  the  Indians 
relinquished  large  bodies  of  lands  for  settlement,  and 
the  peace  there  established  continued  so  long  as  the 
memory  of  Wayne's  victory  remained  fresh  in  the 
minds  of  the  savages.  During  the  eighteen  years  of 
peace  which  followed,  the  Western  settlements  were 
so  firmly  established  that,  on  the  rise  of  the  new  op 
position  under  Tecumseh  and  the  Prophet,  it  was  quite 
beyond  the  reach  of  possibility  for  the  Indians  to 
check  for  any  considerable  time  the  rapid  develop 
ment  of  the  West.  Tecumseh  heartily  hated  this  *" 
treaty  of  Greenville  ;  it  had  given  repose  to  the  set 
tlements,  and  had  confirmed  the  title  of  the  whites  to- 
the  land  on  which  new  and  powerful  communities 
had  grown  up. 

The  principal  speaker  on  behalf  of  the  Shawnees 
in  this  council  was  the  famous  Bluejacket,  who 
had  commanded  the  Indian  forces  in  the  battle  with 
Wayne  and  who  had  been  a  joint  commander  with 
Little  Turtle  in  the  attack  on  St.  Clair.  When  he 
met  Wayne  at  Greenville  he  made  apologies  for  his 
tardiness  in  not  coming  sooner,  as  he  had  promised, 
and  gave  the  most  solemn  assurance  of  his  sincerity. 
We  get  a  curious  glimpse  of  the  relations  subsisting 
between  the  various  Indian  nations  in  his  speech 
on  the  second  day  of  the  council :  "  Brothers,  I 


94  TECUMSEH. 

hope  you  will  not  take  amiss  my  changing  my 
seat  in  this  council.  You  all  know  that  the 
Wyandots  are  our  uncles,  and  the  Delawares  our 
grandfathers,  and  that  the  Shawnees  are  the  elder 
brothers  of  the  other  nations  present.  It  is  therefore 
proper  that  I  should  sit  next  my  grandfathers  and 
uncles." 

This  fictitious  relationship  between  the  various 
tribes  is  quite  often  alluded  to  in  the  Indian  trans 
actions  among  themselves.  At  the  close  of  the  coun 
cil  Blue  Jacket  made  another  speech  that  brings  out 
the  temporary  character  of  the  authority  of  a  war- 
chief.  He  began :  "  Elder  brother,  and  you  my 
brothers  present,  you  see  me  now  present  myself 
as  a  war-chief  to  lay  down  that  commission,  and 
place  myself  in  the  rear  of  my  village  chiefs,  who 
for  the  future  will  command  me." 

Notwithstanding  all  his  protestations  of  peaceful 
intentions  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  he  appears  again  in 
the  troubles  fomented  by  Tecumseh. 

There  is  a  curious  story  that  illustrates  his  duplic 
ity.  In  the  year  1 800,  he  agreed  to  show  to  a  com 
pany  a  valuable  mine  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Ken 
tucky  River.  But  ever  as  their  eagerness  increased 
did  his  demands  become  more  exorbitant  As  he 
was  during  all  these  negotiations  boarding  at  the  ex 
pense  of  the  company,  he  did  not  seem  to  be  in  any 


BLUE  JACKET.  95 

hurry  to  conclude  them.  When  at  length  the  bargain 
was  made,  and  the  horses,  goods,  and  money  were 
delivered,  Blue  Jacket  and  another  chief  who  was 
associated  with  him  were  escorted  in  great  state  to 
Kentucky,  their  wives  and  children  accompanying 
them.  They  were  treated  in  the  most  flattering  way, 
and  all  their  wants  were  anticipated.  When  they 
reached  the  region  of  the  fabled  mine,  traveling  with 
great  secrecy,  he  spent  some  time  in  "  pow- wow-ing/1 
humbling  himself  with  fasting  and  prayer,  to  get  per 
mission  from  the  Great  Spirit  to  reveal  the  location 
of  this  secret  wealth.  He  got  but  a  doubtful  answer 
in  his  dreams,  and  after  many  days  of  fruitless  search 
the  mine  could  not  be  found.  He  laid  the  blame  on 
his  eyes,  which  he  said  were  dimmed  by  age.  He 
promised  on  his  return  home  to  send  his  son,  who 
was  young,  and  who  knew  the  exact  spot,  and  would 
disclose  it  to  the  company.  But  the  son  came  not, 
and  the  great  Blue  Jacket  Mining  Company  never 
found  its  mine. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DEATH   OF  WAWILLAWAY— TECUMSEH  AS    A 
PEACE-MAKER. 

WE  again  find  Tecumseh  engaged  in  hunting,  in 
the  spring  of  1795,  on  Deer  Creek.  This  occupation 
he  carried  on  mo»r~  as  pastime  than  as  business. 
It  is  said  of  him,  on  tiv?  authority  of  those  captives 
and  half-breeds  who  knew  him  well,  that  he  was  not 
avaricious,  but  that  his  generosity  was  proverbial. 
The  furs  that  he  caught  or  the  goods  acquired  by  ex. 
change  were  dispensed  with  a  bountiful  hand.  He 
did  not  hunt  for  the  purpose  of  bettering  his  fortunes, 
but  from  love  for  it  as  a  manly  and  soldierly  employ 
ment,  and  as  a  means  of  furnishing  food  to  those 
who  were  not  able  to  hunt  for  themselves.  No 
doubt  this  generous  temper  had  much  to  do  with  th* 
popularity  he  acquired  among  his  people.  While 
encamped  on  Deer  Creek,  one  of  his  brothers  and 
several  other  young  Shawnees  proposed  to  wager 
Tecumseh  that  they  could  each  kill  as  many  deer  in 
three  days  as  he  could.  This  wager  was  probably 
the  result  of  that  vain  boasting  to  which  the  Indians 
*.re  greatly  addicted,  and  which  is  not  uncommon 


DEATH   OF   WAWILLAWAY.  97 

amcng  hunters  of  all  kinds.  Tecumseh  accepted  the 
challenge,  and  they  all  repaired  to  the  woods.  When 
the  time  had  expired,  they  all  returned  with  the 
skins  of  the  deer  in  evidence  of  what  success  they 
had  had.  The  challengers  had  none  of  them  more 
than  twelve  deer-skins,  while  Tecumseh  returned 
with  about  thirty.  From  this  time  he  was  gener 
ally  confessed  the  greatest  hunter  in  his  nation.  — 

Wayne's  treat/  with  the  Indians  of  the  North- West 
was  finally  concluded  at  Greenville,  in  August,  1795. 
The  Indians  ceded  at  this  time  to  the  whites  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  consideration  of  annuities. 

During  the  summer  of  1795,  in  which  a  large 
body  of  Indian  lands  was  finally  ceded  to  the  whites 
in  exchange  for  annuities,  Tecumseh  began  to  form 
a  new  band  of  his  own  and  to  call  himself  a  chief. 
He  did  not  attend  Wayne's  council  at  Greenville, 
though  he  was  certainly  considered  a  man  of  influ 
ence  and  importance  in  his  nation,  for  after  this 
treaty  Blue  Jacket  visited  him  on  Deer  Creek  and 
told  him  the  terms  on  which  peace  had  been  made. 

In  the  spring  of  1796,  Tecuraseh  and  his  followers 
moved  to  the  Great  Miami.  In  this  place  they  rais 
ed  a  crop  of  corn,  moving  the  next  fall  to  the  upper 
branches  of  the  White  Water,  where,  during  the 
spring  ar  I  summer  of  1797,  they  raised  another  crop 
">f  «:-"-n.  In  1798,  Tecumseh  received  an  invitation 

5 


98  TECUMSEH 

from  the  Delawares,  part  of  whom  were  residing  on 
White  River  in  Indiana,  to  take  up  his  quarters  in 
their  neighborhood.  This  invitation  was  accepted, 
and,  like  roving  Shawnees  that  they  were,  the  band 
moved  again.  Here  on  the  White  River  he  remain 
ed  for  several  years  peacefully  occupied  in  hunting. 
During  this  time  he  was  steadily  extending  his  influ 
ence  among  the  different  tribes,  and  adding  to  his 
band  of  followers. 

Some  difficulties  had  grown  up  between  the  In 
dians  and  the  settlers  on  Mad  River.  In  1799,  a 
council  was  held  by  them  near  the  place  where 
Urbana  now  stands.  Tecumseh,  who  with  other 

^-Shawnee  chiefs  attended  this  council,  is  said  to 
have  been  the  principal  orator,  and  his  speech  was 
much  admired  for  its  eloquence.  The  interpreter, 
Dechouset,  said  "  that  he  found  it  very  difficult  to 
translate  the  lofty  flights  of  Tecumseh,  although  he 
was  as  well  acquainted  with  the  Shawnee  language 

s  as  with  the  French,  which  was  h»s  mother  tongue." 
The  Indian  eloquence  is  often  very  striking  and  re 
markable,  especially  for  its  poetical  element,  which  is 
well  suited  to  "  children  of  nature,"  as  they  are  styled. 
Single  sentences  in  the  speeches  of  Indian  orators 
often  sparkle  like  gems,  as  for  instance  the  saying  of 
a  Winnebago  chief,  portraying  the  wrongs  of  his 
people  in  an  address  to  a  government  commissioner. 


T>EATH   OF  WAWILLAWAV.  99 

*The   very  leaves   of  the  forest,"  he  cried,   "drop 
tears  of  pity  on  us  as  we  walk  beneath." 

In  1803,  the  inhabitants  of  the  Scioto  Valley  were 
thrown  into  a  panic  which  it  took  Tecumseh's  elo 
quence  to  allay.  Captain  Herrod,  one  of  the  first 
settlers,  a  man  greatly  beloved,  was  found  dead  and 
scalped  in  the  woods.  This  event  put  the  whites 
who  had  no  confidence  in  Indian  fidelity  to  the 
treaty,  into  great  consternation,  though  it  was  be 
lieved  by  some  to  have  been  the  deed  of  a  certain 
white  man  who  had  a  grudge  against  the  murdered 
Captain  Herrod.  The  inhabitants  of  the  Scioto  Val 
ley,  however,  residing  five  and  fifteen  miles  apart, 
moved  together,  and  in  many  instances  built  block 
houses  for  protection,  while  the  citizens  of  Chillicothe 
collected  for  the  purpose  of  fortifying  the  town. 

A  wicked  and  wanton  retaliation,  attempted  by 
some  white  men,  greatly  increased  the  panic.  Wa- 
willaway,  a  Shawnee  chief  and  an  unwavering  friend 
of  the  whites,  was  one  day  returning  from  Old 
Town,  where  he  had  been  for  the  purpose  of  trading 
off  his  game  and  skins.  He  was  an  Indian  of  sober 
habits,  brave  and  intelligent,  and  well-known  among 
the  whites. 

He  was  met  in  the  trail  by  an  old  hunter  and  set 
tler  appropriately  named  Wolf  and  two  men  whom 
Wolf  had  hired  to  go  with  him  f,o  his  farm.  Wawil- 


IOO  TECUMSEH. 

laway  shook  hands  with  them  cordially,  and  asked 
after  their  health  and  that  of  their  families.  Wolf 
then  proposed  to  exchange  guns  with  the  Indian. 
While  they  were  examining  each  other's  guns  with 
reference  to  an  exchange,  he  secretly  took  the  prim 
ing  from  that  of  the  chief  and  returned  it,  saying  he 
would  not  trade.  The  white  men  then  asked  if  the 
Indians  had  begun  war. 

"  No,  no  !  "  said  Wawillaway,  "  the  Indians  and 
white  men  are  now  all  one — all  brothers." 

Wolf  asked  him  if  he  had  heard  that  the  Indians 
had  killed  Captain  Herrod.  Wawillaway  seemed 
much  surprised  at  this  story,  and  doubted  its  truth. 
On  being  assured,  however,  that  it  was  true,  he 
said, 

"  May  be  whisky,  too  much  drink,  was  the  cause 
of  the  quarrel." 

"  Herrod  had  no  quarrel  with  the  Indians,  nor  is 
it  known  by  whom  he  was  killed,"  said  Wolf. 

"  May  be  some  bad  white  man  kill  Captain  Her 
rod,"  suggested  the  Indian.  Wawillaway  now  shook 
hands  all  round  and  turned  to  go,  when  he  was  shot 
from  behind  and  mortalh,  wounded  by  the  dastardly 
white  man.  The  brave  Shawnee  turned  upon  his 
assailants,  killed  one  of  them,  and  wounded  Wolf  and 
the  other  man  severely  before  he  died.  When  this 
occurrence  became  known  it  greatly  augmented  the 


DEATH  OF  VA\VILLAWAY.  101 

excitement  The  whites  fl£d  in  one • '--Hrrectit/n,  and 
the  Indians,  equally  alarmed,  in  another. 

In  consequence  of  this  distressing  excitement  some 
prominent  citizens  rode  into  the  Indian  country  near 
Greenville.  Here  they  found  a  large  body  of  Indians, 
and  among  them  Tecumseh.  A  council  was  held 
with  these  Indians,  and  the  whites  frankly  related  all 
the  circumstances  connected  with  the  death  of  Herrod 
and  Wawillaway.  The  Indians  denied  having  any 
knowledge  of  these  things,  and  declared  their  inten 
tion  of  standing  by  the  treaty  which  had  been  made 
at  that  place.  Tecumseh  at  last  agreed  to  return 
with  the  white  men  and  make  these  peaceful  declara 
tions  in  person  to  the  settlers.  On  their  arrival,  a 
day  was  appointed  when  this  chief  should  address  all 
the  people.  A  white  man,  who  had  been  a  prisoner 
among  the  Indians,  acted  as  interpreter.  An  im 
mense  throng  gathered  to  hear  Tecumseh's  speech, 
which  was,  even  when  translated,  full  of  telling  and 
eloquent  passages. 

He  spoke  in  the  strongest  language  of  the  friendly 
relations  existing  between  the  Indians  and  their  white 
brethren,  and  of  the  determination  on  the  part  of  the 
Indians  to  abide  by  this  treaty  forever.  He  hoped 
that  it  would  be  kept  inviolate  by  both  parties,  and 
that  brotherly  love  would  be  as  long  and  lasting  as 
time  between  the  white  man  and  the  Indian.  When 


102 


id  sacliems'  shook  hands  to  ex« 
press  the  friendship  and  fellowship  existing  between 
the  two  people.  After  this  speech  of  Tecumseh, 
whose  tall,  commanding  figure  and  noble  dignity 
impressed  all  who  saw  him,  the  people  returned  con 
tented  to  their  quiet  homes.  It  seems  a  pity  that 
Tecumseh  should  ever  have  held  other  views  about 
the  treaty  at  Greenville,  than  those  expressed  in 
Chillicothe. 

It  is  the  right  and  duty  of  the  nearest  of  kin 
among  the  Indians,  to  kill  the  murderer  of  their  rel 
ative,  unless  he  purchase  his  life  at  a  price  agreed 
upon  by  the  family.  The  two  sons  of  Wawillaway 
had  therefore  vowed  vengeance  upon  Wolf.  He, 
however,  moved  to  Kentucky,  and  employed  an 
agent  to  make  terms  with  the  young  men.  This 
agent  finally  agreed  to  furnish  each  son  with  a  horse, 
a  new  saddle  and  bridle,  and  a  new  rifle,  and  they, 
on  their  part,  though  not  without  much  debate  and 
hesitation,  agreed  to  bury  the  tomahawk  and  make 
peace  with  the  murderer  and  his  family  forever. 

At  the  time  fixed  for  the  fulfillment  of  this  con 
tract,  a  large  gathering  of  people  assembled  at  Old 
Town  to  see  the  Indian  ceremonies.  Rev.  J.  B.  Fin- 
ley,  at  one  time  an  Indian  missionary,  thus  describes 
the  scene  :  "A  hollow  square  was  formed,  in  which 
were  Wolf  and  his  horses  and  trappings  and  the  two 


DEATH   OF  WAWILLAWAY.  IOJ 

young  men.  The  Indians,  in  relinquishing  their 
claim  to  the  life  of  the  murderer,  raised  their  hands 
toward  heaven  invoking  the  Great  Spirit,  declaring 
that  to  Him  alone  they  transferred  the  blood  and  life 
of  Wolf,  forfeited  by  the  death  of  their  father.  The 
scene  was  full  of  the  most  impressive  solemnity,  and 
many  were  moved  to  tears.  In  token  of  their  for 
giveness,  they  advanced  and  took  Wolf  by  the  hand 
— the  same  bloody  hand  which  sent  their  beloved 
father  to  the  grave  and  made  them  orphans.  Then 
saluting  him  as  a  brother,  they  lighted  the  calumet, 
or  pipe  of  peace,  and  smoked  with  him  in  the  pres 
ence  of  the  Great  Spirit.  They  remained  good 
friends  ever  afterward,  and  often  visited  each  other." 
During  this  year  a  stalwart  Kentuckian  came  to 
Ohio  to  explore  the  lands  on  Mad  River.  He 
stopped  over  night  at  the  house  of  Captain  Abner 
Barrett,  living  on  the  head  waters  of  Buck  Creek. 
He  was  evidently  startled  to  hear  that  there  were 
Indians  encamped  in  the  immediate  neighborhood. 
Soon  after  learning  this,  the  door  of  the  dwelling 
was  suddenly  opened  and  the  noble  form  of  Tecum- 
seh  appeared.  He  walked  in  with  his  usual  stately 
dignity  and  looked  around  him  in  silence.  His  eye 
soon  lit  upon  the  alarmed  Kentuckian,  who  was  show 
ing  the  greatest  agitation.  Tecumseh  regarded  him 
a  moment,  and  then  turning  to  Barrett  exclaimed, 


104  TECUMSEII. 

"  A  big  baby  !  a  big  baby  !  "  He  then  walked  up 
to  the  frightened  fellow  and  patting  him  gently  on 
the  shoulder  repeated  contemptuously,  "  Big  baby ! 
big  baby!"  increasing  the  alarm  of  the  poor  man, 
to  the  great  amusement  of  those  present 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  RISE  OF  THE  PROPHET. 

THE  immense  tract  of  land  between  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers,  now  divided  into  many  states,  con 
stituted  the  old  Northwestern  Territory.  In  1801, 
the  State  of  Ohio  was  formed  out  of  this,  and  the 
remainder  was  called  the  Indiana  Territory.  Of  this 
territory  William  Henry  Hawison  was  appointed 
governor.  There  were  then  but  three  settlements 
in  the  territory,  and  these  were  widely  separated. 
The  first  was  on  a  grant  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  acres  at  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio,  made  to 
General  George  Rogers  Clark's  successful  troops; 
the  second,  the  old  French  settlement  at  Vincennes, 
and  the  third,  the  old  settlement  between  Kaskaskia 
and  Cahokia  on  the  Mississippi.  The  whole  of  this 
vast  territory  then  contained  but  five  thousand  peo 
ple.  'Jecumseh's  brother,  the  Prophet,  now  for  the 
first  time  comes  into  notice.  The  earlier  and  latter 
parts  of  his  life  were  passed  in  entire  obscurity.  He 
is  only  prominent  during  the  time  his  notoriety  as  a 
prophet  served  to  further  Tecumseh's  ambitious 
scheme.  The  Prophet  is  called  by  many  different 

5* 


106  TECUMSEII. 

names,  or  modifications  of  the  same  name.      His 
earlier  name  was  Laulewasikaw,  or  the  Loud  Voice, 
possibly  in  reference  tc  his  self-assertion  and  boast 
fulness,  as  much  as  to  his  really  stentorian  voice. 

Long  before  he  divulged  it  to  his  followers,  Te- 

^  cumseh  may  have  meditated  his  plan  for  gathering 

the  red  men  into  a  great  confederacy,  driving   the 

•"Whites  back  across  the  Ohio,  or  at  least  arresting  their 

^further  progress,  and  thus  preventing  that  extinction 

of  the  Indian  race  which  he  so  much  dreaded.     Or, 

shall  we  regard  him  as  an  ambitious  leader  whose 

ambition    grew   with    his    increasing   influence    and 

success  ? 

In  1805,  a  Part  of  the  Shawnees  were  living  at  the 
Tawa  villages,  at  the  head  of  the  Auglaize  River. 
Wishing  to  unite  their  scattered  nation,  they  sent  a 
deputation  to  Tecumseh's  party  on  White  River,  and 
to  another  party  of  Shawnees  on  the  Mississinnewa, 
inviting  them  to  move  to  the  Tawa  towns  and  there 
join  their  brethren.  Both  of  the  companies  thus  in 
vited  resolved  to  accept  the  invitation.  They  im 
mediately  set  out  for  the  Tawa  villages,  but  at  Green 
ville  the  two  parties  met,  and  through  Laulewasi 
kaw' s  influence  they  decided  to  remain  at  that  place. 
It  seems  likely  that  Tecumseh  was  behind  Laule 
wasikaw  in  this,  seeing  in  it  a  chance  to  increase  the 
number  of  his  followers.  Laulewasikaw  impressed 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  PROPHET.  IO/ 

all  who  knew  him  with  his  craftiness ;  Tecumseh's 
shrewdness  must  have  been  of  a  much  deeper  and 
more  far-seeing  kind,  and  it  was  hidden  under  a 
noble  dignity  and  reserve. 

About  this  time  there  died  an  old  Shawnee  Indian 
by  the  name  of  Penagashega,  or  The-Change-of- 
Feathers,  "  who  had  for  some  years  been  engaged  in 
the  respectable  calling  of  a  prophet"  Laulewasi- 
kaw,  who  had  seen  the  old  prophet's  influence  with 
the  Indians  for  some  time,  now  began  himself  to  re 
ceive  communications  from  the  Great  Spirit,  and  an 
nounced  himself  a  prophet  in  place  of  the  departed 
Change-of-Feathers.  Prophet- wise,  he  assumed  a  new 
name,  that  of  Tenskwatawa,  which  signifies  "The 
Open  Door."  This  name  pointed  him  out  as  a  means 
of  deliverance  to  his  people,  and  indicated  the  new 
way  he  undertook  to  show  forth  in  his  teachings. 

The  Prophet  is  not  an  uncommon  institution 
among  the  Indians.  Every  body  of  Indians  has  its 
medicine-man.  Prophecy,  however,  seems  to  be 
somewhat  higher  than  the  calling  of  the  medicine 
man,  who  is  a  sort  of  juggler,  superstition-monger, 
exorcist,  and  curer  of  diseases  by  means  of  "  pow 
wows,"  mysterious  incantations,  and  solemn  hum- 
buggery.  A  prophet  adds  to  this  the  character  of 
a  seer  and  a  moral- reformer  among  his  people. 

We  have  already  mentioned  that  more  than  a  cen- 


T08  TECUMSEH. 

tury  before  the  times  of  Tecumseh  the  Indians  at 
Conestoga,  part  of  whom  were  Shawnees,  had  among 
them  a  venerable  prophetess,  whom  they  took  with 
them  to  all  their  councils,  and  to  whom  they  paid 
great  respect.  During  Schoolcraft's  residence  among 
the  Chippewas,  he  found  the  widow  of  a  man  named 
Soangageshick,  or  "  Strong  Sky,"  who  followed  the 
profession  of  prophetess,  or  jossakeed.  The  jossa- 
keed  enters  a  lodge  which  is  closed  up,  and  from  this 
utters  oracular  things,  like  an  ancient  pythoness  or  a 
modern  "  trance-medium."  Of  another  prophet, 
Schoolcraft  says  that  he  was  "  a  tall,  not  portly,  red- 
mouthed  and  pucker-mouthed  man,  with  an  unusual 
amount  of  cunning  and  sagacity,  and  exercising  an 
unlimited  popularity  by  his  skill  and  reputation  as  a 
jossakeed  or  seer."  This  man,  like  Mohammed,  Brig- 
ham  Young,  and  other  prophets,  practiced  polygamy, 
having  three  wives.  The  better  to  impress  his 
clients,  he  "had  an  elaborately-built  seer's  lodge, 
sheathed  with  rolls  of  bark  carefully  and  skillfully 
united,  and  stained  black  inside.  Its  construction, 
which  was  intricate,  resembled  the  whorls  of  a 
sea-shell.  The  white  prints  of  a  man's  hand,  as  if 
smeared  with  white  clay,  were  impressed  on  the 
black  surface.  I  have  never  witnessed  so  complete  a 
piece  of  Indian  architectural  structure,  nor  one  more 
worthy  of  the  name  of  a  temple  of  darkness." 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  PROPHET.  109 

That  the  curious  reader  may  understand  what  the 
seer's  office  was  at  the  time  of  the  setting  up  of  "  The 
Open  Door,"  and  may  see  how  far  the  office  of 
prophet  was  modified  by  him,  we  give  another  in 
stance.  One  Rue  was  made  captive  in  1781.  He 
was  at  Detroit,  and  meditating  plans  of  escape. 
During  the  drunken  revels  of  the  tribes  gathered  at 
the  trading-house  there,  an  Indian  lost  a  purse  con 
taining  ninety  dollars  in  silver.  Great  excitement 
ensued ;  there  were  many  accusations  and  recrimina 
tions  among  them,  and  the  tribes  became  so  far  exas 
perated  toward  each  other  as  to  threaten  the  use  of 
knives  and  tomahawks,  when  the  announcement  was 
made  that  there  was  a  prophet  present  who  belonged 
to  none  of  the  bands  engaged  in  the  wi  angle.  Order 
was  immediately  established,  while  this  prophet  un 
dertook  to  detect  the  thief  by  conjuration.  Very 
solemnly  he  unrolled  a  deer-skin,  which  he  spread 
upon  the  ground  with  the  flesh  side  up.  He  then 
emptied  upon  it  a  little  bag  of  fine  sand  which  he 
drew  from  his  belt.  With  a  magic  wand  he  spread 
this  smoothly  upon  the  skin.  The  crowd  were  now 
watching  with  eager,  awe-struck  faces.  The  prophet 
gazed  steadily  at  the  sand  for  several  moments,  and 
then  muttered  some  inarticulate  words.  Taking  an 
other  long  look,  he  exclaimed :  "  I  see  the  thief  and 
the  stolen  treasure."  The  prophet  was  pressed  to  tel] 


1 10  TECUMSEH. 

who  the  culprit  was,  but  this  he  benevolently  refused 
to  do,  declaring  that  he  feared  that  the  information 
would  lead  to  the  extermination  of  one  or  more  tribes 
before  the  matter  ended.  It  was  very  improper,  he 
said,  to  divulge  a  fact  that  might  produce  results  so 
disastrous  as  he  foresaw.  He  said,  however,  that 
none  of  those  who  had  been  accused  were  guilty,  but 
it  was  a  member  of  a  tribe  other  than  those  em 
broiled  in  the  quarrel.  He  thus  shrewdly  restored 
harmony  among  the  Indians.  Rue  and  his  com 
panions  now  resolved  to  question  the  fortune-teller 
regarding  their  friends  at  home.  They  visited  him 
in  private,  and,  paying  the  fee,  seated  themselves 
around  the  deer-skin.  After  a  long  silence  the 
prophet  announced  that  he  saw  Rue's  family  passing 
through  the  door-yard,  and  gave  their  number,  sex, 
age,  and  appearance  so  well  as  to  incline  Rue  to  be 
lieve  him  a  real  wizard. 

"  You  two  intend  to  make  your  escape,  and  you? 
will  effect  it  soon,"  said  the  soothsayer,  raising  his 
eyes.  Looking  again  into  the  sandy  future,  he  said, 

"  You  will  meet  many  trials  and  hardships  in  pass 
ing  over  so  wild  a  district  of  country,  inhabited  by 
so  many  hostile  nations  of  Indians.  You  will  almost 
starve  to  death,  but  about  the  time  you  have  given 
up  all  hope  of  finding  game  to  sustain  you  in  your 
famished  condition,  succor  will  come  when  you  least 


THE   RISE  OF  THE  PROPHET.  Ill 

expect  it.  I  see  dimly  the  carcass  of  some  wild 
animal  taken  as  game ;  what  it  is  I  can't  clearly  see. 
It  will  be  of  the  male  sex.  After  that  you  will  find 
plenty  of  game,  and  will  arrive  safely  at  your 
homes." 

These  things  are  said  to  have  indeed  happened  to 
the  fugitive  captives  pretty  nearly  according  to  the 
Indian's  prophecy. 

But  Laulewasikaw  took  hints  from  the  mission 
aries,  and  got  many  things  from  the  Shakers.  He 
did  not  mutter  from  a  darkened  lodge,  nor  tell  for 
tunes  with  sand.  He  was  a  preaching  prophet. 

In  November,  1805,  our  Shawnee  prophet  gath 
ered  together  quite  an  assembly  of  his  own  nation, 
with  many  Wyandots,  Ottawas,  and  Senecas,  at 
Wapakonetta,  on  the  Auglaize  River,  in  Northern 
Ohio,  where  he  made  them  a  speech  declaring  his 
new  vocation.  In  this  address  he  harangued  against 
witchcraft,  a  thing  very  much  believed  in  by  the 
Indians.  He  said  that  all  those  who  practiced  it 
or  remained  bewitched  would  not  go  to  heaven  or 
see  the  Great  Spirit.  He  next  denounced  drunken 
ness  most  vehemently.  He  said  that  since  he  had 
become  a  prophet  he  had  gone  up  into  the  clouds, 
and  the  first  place  he  came  to  was  the  dwelling  of 
the  Devil.  Here  he  saw  all  who  had  died  drunkards, 
with  flames  of  fire  issuing  from  their  mouths.  He 


112  TECUMSEH. 

admitted  that  previous  to  this  he  had  himself  been  a 
drunkard,  but  his  vision  had  frightened  him  so  that 
he  drank  no  more.  He  then  preached  with  a  good 
deal  of  earnestness  against  Indian  women  intermarry 
ing  with  the  whites,  saying  this  was  one  of  the  causes 
of  their  unhappiness.  He  proposed  community  of 
property — an  adjustment  of  things  which  would  well 
have  suited  this  indolent  reformer.  He  also  preached 
that  which  Tecumseh  so  constantly  practiced — the 
duty  of  the  young  at  all  times  supporting  and  cher 
ishing  the  aged  and  infirm.  He  denounced  innova 
tions  in  the  dress  and  habits  of  the  red  man,  and 
appealed  to  their  national  pride  by  boasting  of  the 
superiority  of  the  Shawnees  over  any  other  nation. 
He  promised  to  those  who  would  follow  him  and 
obey  his  injunctions  all  the  comfort  and  happiness 
enjoyed  by  their  ancestors  before  the  advent  of  the 
whites  among  them.  He  closed  by  announcing  the 
power  which  had  been  given  him  by  the  Great  Spirit 
to  confound  his  enemies,  to  cure  all  diseases,  and  to 
prevent  death  either  from  sickness  or  on  the  battle 
field. 

From  this  opening  speech  we  can  judge  of  the 
nature  of  his  teachings.  We  can  see  that  his  doc 
trines  were  many  of  them  wild  and  fanatical,  while 
the  denunciations  of  drunkenness  and  of  the  assump 
tion  of  the  habits  and  dress  of  the  whites  by  the 


THE   RISE   OF  THE   PROPHET.  II j 

Indians  agreed  with  the  well  known  opinions  of  Te- 
cumseh.  The  natural  boastfulness  of  the  Prophet  is 
shown  in  his  claims  to  supernatural  power,  which 
were  well  calculated  to  excite  the  superstitious  mind 
of  the  savage.  The  Prophet  was  even  a  better 
speaker  than  his  brother;  and  though  his  face  as 
shown  in  his  portrait  is  certainly  not  attractive,  it  is 
said  that  his  manner  was  more  graceful  than  that  of 
any  other  Indian.  Without  Tecumseh's  dignity,  he  is 
said  to  have  possessed  more  persuasion  and  plausi 
bility.  He  certainly  possessed  none  of  the  noble 
qualities  of  his  brother.  His  main  characteristics 
were  cunning  and  a  certain  showy  smartness.  He 
was  neither  courageous,  truthful,  nor  above  cruelty. 
It  is,  however,  very  probable  that  he  believed  even 
more  firmly  in  himself  than  did  any  of  his  followers. 
As  is  often  the  case  with  impostors,  he  may  have  suc 
ceeded  in  deceiving  himself  more  completely  even 
than  he  deceived  his  fellows.  Some  of  his  preaching 
shows  the  influence  of  the  white  .  man's  opinions 
upon  him.  It  is  believed  that  he  picked  up  some 
scraps  of  his  system  from  the  Shakers,  who  made 
their  advent  into  Ohio  at  this  time. 

President  Jefferson  wrote  his  opinion  of  Laule- 
wasikaw  after  the  close  of  his  administration,  to  his 
predecessor,  ex-President  Adams.  He  said  :  "  The 
Wabash  Prophet  is  more  rogue  than  fool,  if  to  be  a 


114  TECUMSEH. 

rogue  is  not  the  greatest  of  all  follies.  He  rose  to 
notice  while  I  was  in  the  administration,  and  became, 
of  course,  a  proper  subject  for  me.  The  inquiry  was 
made  with  diligence.  His  declared  object  was  the 
reformation  of  his  red  brethren,  and  their  return  to 
their  pristine  manners  of  living.  He  pretended  to  be 
in  constant  communication  with  the  Great  Spirit;  that 
he  was  instructed  by  Him  to  make  known  to  the  In 
dians  that  they  were  created  by  Him  distinct  from 
the  whites,  of  different  natures,  for  different  purposes, 
and  placed  under  different  circumstances,  adapted  to 
their  nature  and  destinies;  that  they  must  return 
from  all  the  ways  of  the  whites  to  the  habits  and 
opinions  of  their  forefathers ;  they  must  not  eat  the 
flesh  of  hogs,  of  bullocks,  of  sheep,  &c.,  the  deer  and 
the  buffalo  having  been  created  for  their  food ;  they 
must  not  make  bread  of  wheat,  but  of  Indian  corn ; 
they  must  not  wear  linen  nor  woollen,  but  must  dress 
like  their  fathers,  in  the  skins  and  furs  of  animals ; 
they  must  not  drink  ardent  spirits ;  and  I  do  not  re 
member  whether  he  extended  his  inhibitions  to  the 
gun  and  gunpowder,  in  favor  of  the  bow  and  arrow. 
I  concluded  from  all  this  that  he  was  a  visionary, 
enveloped  in  their  antiquities,  and  vainly  endeavoring 
to  lead  back  his  brethren  to  the  fancied  beatitudes  of 
their  golden  age.  I  thought  there  was  little  danger 
of  his  making  many  proselytes  from  the  habits  and 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  PROPHET.  11$ 

comforts  they  had  learned  from  the  whites,  to  the 
hardships  and  privations  of  savagism,  and  no  great 
harm  if  he  did.  But  his  followers  increased  until  the 
British  thought  him  worth  corrupting,  and  found  him 
corruptible.  I  suppose  his  views  were  then  changed; 
but  his  proceedings  in  consequence  of  them  were 
after  I  left  the  administration,  and  are  therefore  un 
known  to  me ;  nor  have  I  ever  been  informed  what 
were  the  particular  acts  on  his  part  which  produced 
an  actual  commencement  of  hostilities  on  ours.  I 
have  no  doubt,  however,  that  the  subsequent  pro 
ceedings  are  but  a  chapter  apart,  like  that  of  Henry 
and  Lord  Liverpool,  in  the  book  of  the  Kings  of 
England." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Prophet  really 
sought  the  good  of  his  people.  With  all  his  vanity, 
deception,  superstition,  and  craft,  he  no  doubt  be 
lieved  in  the  beneficial  tendency  of  the  measures  he 
advocated.  This  is  quite  consistent  with  the  opinion 
that  he  had  ambitious  projects  in  assuming  the  char 
acter  of  a  prophet,  and  that  Tecumseh's  gradually 
developing  schemes  had  much  to  do  with  the  Proph 
et's  plans. 

His  influence  soon  began  to  show  itself.  Many 
followers  gathered  around  him,  most  of  whom  were 
young  men  and  persons  of  wild  and  adventurous 
tendencies  from  the  various  tribes.  It  is  stated  that 


Il6  TECUMSEH. 

they  entirely  abstained  from  strong  drink,  and  in 
many  other  ways  practiced  their  leader's  precepts. 
Opposition  was  naturally  made  to  the  innovations  of 
the  new  prophet  by  the  neighboring  chiefs,  who  felt 
that  he  sought  to  undermine  their  power.  An  in 
quisition  was  now  introduced  by  Tenskwatawa.  A 
course  of  fanatical  persecution  for  witchcraft  was  be 
gun,  shocking  indeed  in  its  cruelty  and  injustice,  but 
only  too  much  resembling  something  which  occurred 
in  Salem,  among  people  of  our  own  enlightened  race. 
The  superstition  of  the  Indians  was  so  great  that 
if  the  Prophet  denounced  some  chief  who  opposed 
him,  as  a  witch,  a  loss  of  reputation  and  perhaps  of 
life  ensued.  Several  Delawares  were  among  the  first 
victims.  An  old  woman  was  burned  to  death,  being 
called  upon  many  times  by  the  Indians  to  give  up 
her  charm  and  medicine  bag.  As  she  was  dying, 
she  exclaimed  that  her  grandson  who  was  out  hunt 
ing  had  it  He  was  pursued,  tied,  and  brought  into 
camp.  He  confessed  that  he  had  borrowed  the 
charm,  and  by  means  of  it  had  flown  through  the 
air,  over  Kentucky  to  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi 
and  back  again  between  twilight  and  bedtime.  He 
insisted  that  he  had  returned  the  charm,  however,  and 
was  finally  released.  The  following  day  a  very  old 
chief  named  Teteboxti  was  sentenced  at  a  council 
held  for  the  purpose,  at  which  he  was  present 


THE   RISE   OF  THE  PROPHET. 


Knowing  there  was  no  escape,  he  arrayed  himself  in 
his  finest  clothes  and  calmly  assisted  in  the  building 
of  his  own  funeral  pile.  In  consideration  of  his  age, 
the  white-haired  chief  was  treated  mercifully,  being 
killed  before  his  body  was  burned.  An  old  "  preach 
er"  called  Joshua  —  probably  a  Christian  convert  — 
next  met  the  same  fate.  A  council  was  held  over 
the  wife  of  Teteboxti  and  his  nephew,  Billy  Patter 
son.  The  latter  died  like  a  Christian,  singing  and 
praying.  Preparations  were  then  made  for  the  burn 
ing  of  Teteboxti's  wife,  when  her  brother,  a  young 
man  of  twenty,  suddenly  started  up  and  bravely  led 
her  by  the  hand  out  of  the  house.  He  returned  to 
the  amazed  council,  and  said  "  The  Devil,"  (alluding 
to  the  Prophet)  "  has  come  amongst  us,  and  we  are 
killing  each  other."  He  then  reseated  himself. 
This  seemed  to  awaken  the  Indians  to  a  realization 
of  what  they  were  doing,  and  put  a  stop  for  a  time 
to  further  persecutions  among  the  Delawares,  while 
it  gave  a  check  to  the  influence  of  the  Prophet 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  BAND  AT  GREENVILLE— THE  PROPHET 
IN   COUNCIL. 

As  soon  as  Governor  Harrison  heard  of  this  witch 
craft  delusion,  he  sent  to  the  Delaware  Indians  the 
following  "  speech  "  or  letter,  by  a  special  messen 
ger:— 

"MY  CHILDREN:  My  heart  is  filled  with  grief,  and 
my  eyes  are  dissolved  in  tears  at  the  news  which  has 
reached  me.  You  have  been  celebrated  for  your 
wisdom  above  all  the  tribes  of  the  red  people  who 
inhabit  this  great  island.  Your  fame  as  warriors  has 
extended  to  the  remotest  nations,  and  the  wisdom  of 
your  chiefs  has  gained  you  the  appellation  of  grand 
fathers  from  all  the  neighboring  tribes.  From  what 
cause,  then,  does  it  proceed  that  you  have  departed 
from  the  wise  counsels  of  your  fathers  and  covered 
yourselves  with  guilt  ?  My  children,  tread  back  the 
steps  you  have  taken,  and  endeavor  to  regain  the 
straight  road  which  you  have  abandoned.  The  dark, 
crooked,  and  thorny  one  which  you  are  now  pur 
suing  will  certainly  lead  to  endless  woe  and  misery. 
But  who  is  this  pretended  prophet  who  dares  to  speak 


THE  BAND  AT  GREENVILLE.  1 19 

in  the  name  of  the  great  Creator  ?  Examine  him. 
Is  he  more  wise  and  virtuous  than  you  are  your 
selves,  that  he  should  be  selected  to  convey  to  you 
the  orders  of  your  God  ?  Demand  of  him  some 
proofs  at  least  of  his  being  the  messenger  of  the 
Deity.  If  God  has  really  employed  him,  He  has 
doubtless  authorized  him  to  perform  miracles  that  he 
may  be  known  and  received  as  a  prophet.  If  he  is 
really  a  prophet,  ask  of  him  to  cause  the  sun  to  stand 
still,  the  moon  to  alter  its  course,  the  rivers  to  cease 
to  flow,  or  the  dead  to  rise  from  their  graves.  If 
he  does  these  things,  you  may  believe  that  he  has 
been  sent  from  God.  He  tells  you  that  the  Great 
Spirit  commands  you  to  punish  with  death  those  who 
deal  in  magic,  and  that  he  is  authorized  to  point 
them  out.  Wretched  delusion  !  Is  then  the  Master 
of  Life  obliged  to  employ  mortal  man  to  punish  those 
who  offend  Him  ?  Has  He  not  the  thunder  and  the 
power  of  nature  at  His  command  ?  And  could  He 
not  sweep  away  from  the  earth  a  whole  nation  with 
one  motion  of  his  arm  ?  My  children,  do  not  believe 
that  the  great  and  good  Creator  of  mankind  has 
directed  you  to  destroy  youi  own  flesh ;  and  do  not 
doubt  that  if  you  pursue  this  abominable  wickedness 
His  vengeance  will  overtake  you  and  crush  you. 

"  The  above  is  addressed  to  you  in  the  name  of 
the  Seventeen  Fires      I  now  speak  to  you  from  my- 


I2O  TECUMSEH. 

self,  as  a  friend  who  wishes  nothing  more  sincerely  than 
to  see  you  prosperous  and  happy.  Clear  your  eyes, 
I  beseech  you,  from  the  mist  which  surrounds  them. 
No  longer  be  imposed  upon  by  the  arts  of  an  im 
postor.  Drive  him  from  your  town,  and  let  peace 
and  harmony  prevail  amongst  you.  Let  your  poor 
old  men  and  women  sleep  in  quietness,  and  banish 
from  their  minds  the  dreadful  idea  of  being  burnt 
alive  by  their  own  friends  and  countrymen.  I  charge 
you  to  stop  your  bloody  career ;  and  if  you  value 
the  friendship  of  your  great  father,  the  President ;  if 
you  wish  to  preserve  the  good  opinion  of  the  Seven 
teen  Fires,  let  me  hear  by  the  return  of  the  bearer 
that  you  have  determined  to  follow  my  advice." 

It  is  necessary  to  explain  that  by  "  Seventeen 
Fires "  is  meant  the  United  States,  which  consisted 
at  that  time  of  seventeen  states,  or  council-fires  in 
the  Indian  mode  of  speaking. 

There  is  no  evidence  that  Tecumseh  was  in  favor 
of  this  persecution  for  witchcraft,  and  one  authority 
asserts  that  he  was  opposed  to  it,  though  it  is  not 
unlikely  that  he  was  quite  willing  to  serve  his  ends 
by  the  Prophet's  reign  of  terror. 

The  Prophet  lost  many  followers  among  the 
Shawnees  at  this  time,  there  being  only  about  forty 
of  tha^  nation  left  in  his  village.  He  was  not  so  suc 
cessful  in  gaining  an  ascendency  among  the  Miamis 


THE  BAND  AT  GREENVILLE.  121 

as  he  was  with  the  Delawares,  in  whose  midst  he 
had  lived  for  some  years.  During  the  year  1 806, 
however,  the  Prophet  and  Tecumseh  were  established 
at  Greenville,  where  they  were  visited  by  very  many 
Indians,  so  that  they  again  greatly  augmented  the 
strength  of  their  band  of  followers.  The  Prophet 
exercised  his  gifts  with  diligence,  seeing  visions  and 
dreaming  dreams.  It  is  probable  that  he  had  heard 
beforehand  from  the  whites  of  the  great  eclipse  of 
the  sun  which  was  to  occur  in  1806.  Governor 
Harrison's  challenge  that  he  should  work  wonders 
was  an  unfortunate  one,  for  nothing  is  easier  than 
miracles  wrought  among  ignorant  and  credulous 
people.  He  boldly  announced  to  his  followers  that 
on  a  certain  day  he  would  make  darkness  come  over 
the  sun  as  proof  of  his  supernatural  power.  Accord 
ingly  at  the  time  appointed,  the  Prophet,  standing  in 
the  midst  of  his  party  at  midday,  cried  out,  when  all 
grew  dark,  "  Did  I  not  prophesy  truly  ?  Behold ! 
darkness  has  shrouded  the  sun  !  "  This  incident,  of 
course,  made  a  great  impression  on  the  Indian  mind, 
and  established  the  belief  in  his  right  to  the  claim  of 
intercourse  with  the  Great  Spirit 

About  April,  1 807,  great  alarm  began  to  be  felt 
on  the  frontier.  At  this  time  the  Prophet  had  gath 
ered  near  four  hundred  Indians  around  him.  These 
savages  were  greatly  excited  by  religious  fanaticism, 

6 


122  TECUMSEH. 

and  were  ready,  it  was  believed,  to  join  any  enter* 
prise  into  which  the  brothers  should  lead  them.  Sev 
eral  efforts  were  made  to  learn  the  objects  of  the 
leaders  in  gathering  together  so  many  warriors,  but 
without  success.  The  Indian  agent  at  Fort  Wayne, 
William  Wells,  sent  Anthony  Shane,  a  half-blood 
Shawnee,  to  them,  with  a  request  that  Tecumsch  and 
the  Prophet,  with  two  of  their  other  chiefs,  should 
visit  him  at  Fort  Wayne,  in  order  that  he  might  read 
to  them  a  letter  which  he  had  just  received  from  their 
great  father,  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

A  council  was  called,  and  Shane  delivered  his  mes 
sage.  Tecumseh,  who  seems  now  to  have  risen  to 
the  first  place  in  the  band,  leaving  his  brother  to 
play  Aaron  to  his  Moses,  arose,  without  consulting 
any  other  member  of  the  council,  and,  with  an 
assumption  of  kingly  dignity,  said,  "  Go  back  to  Fort 
Wayne,  and  tell  Captain  Wells  that  my  fire  is  kindled 
on  the  spot  appointed  by  the  Great  Spirit  above ; 
and  if  he  has  anything  to  communicate  to  me,  he 
must  come  Jiere.  I  shall  expect  him  in  six  days 
from  this  time." 

With  this  message  Shane  was  obliged  to  return  to 
the  Indian  agent,  who,  not  feeling  inclined  to  wait  on 
Tecumseh  in  person,  sent  Shane  back  at  the  appoint 
ed  time  with  a  copy  of  the  President's  communica 
tion.  The  substance  of  this  was  that  they  were 


THE   BAND  AT  GREENVILLE.  1 23 

desired  to  remove  from  where  they  were  established, 
it  being  within  the  limits  of  the  purchase  from  the 
Indians.  If  they  would  move  beyond  the  bounda 
ries  agreed  upon  at  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  assist 
ance  would  be  given  them  by  the  government  until 
they  were  established  in  their  new  home.  This  was 
all  carefully  interpreted  to  the  Indians  at  a  council 
which  was  assembled  for  the  purpose. 

Tccnmseh's  dignity  was  much  offended  that  Cap 
tain  Wells  had  not  visited  him  in  person.  He  arose, 
and  turning  to  his  followers,  deeply  excited,  made 
them  a  long,  fiery,  and  eloquent  speech,  in  which  he 
spoke  of  the  injuries  the  red  men  had  received  from 
the  whites  and  of  their  constant  encroachments.  He 
closed  with  these  words :  "  These  lands  are  ours  ;  no 
one  has  a  right  to  remove  us,  because  we  were  the 
first  owners ;  the  Great  Spirit  above  has  appointed 
this  place  for  us  on  which  to  light  our  fires,  and  here 
we  will  remain.  As  to  boundaries,  the  Great  Spirit 
above  knows  no  boundaries,  nor  will  his  red  people 
know  any." 

He  paused  a  moment,  and  then  turning  with  dig 
nified  indifference  to  the  messenger,  he  said  : — 

"If  my  father,  the  President  of  the  Seventeen 
Fires,  has  anything  more  to  say  to  me,  he  must  send 
a  man  of  note  as  his  messenger.  I  will  hold  no  fur« 
tiier  intercourse  with  Captain  Wells." 


124  TECUMSEH. 

The  Prophet  then  rose  and  spoke  in  the  same  lofty 
and  defiant  strain,  doing  also  some  personal  bragging 
on  his  own  account:  "  Why  does  not  the  President 
of  the  Seventeen  Fires  send  us  the  greatest  man  ia 
his  nation  ?  I  can  talk  to  him — I  can  bring  dark 
ness  between  him  and  me ;  nay,  more,  I  can  bring 
the  sun  under  my  feet ;  and  what  white  man  can  do 
this?" 

The  stir  among  the  Indians  went  on  increasing, 
and  at  the  last  of  May  it  was  estimated  that  so 
many  as  fifteen  hundred  Indians  had  passed  and  re- 
passed  Fort  Wayne  on  visits  to  the  Prophet.  Many 
of  these  were  from  very  remote  nations.  There  was 
a  great  assembling  of  councils;  messengers  were  sent 
from  tribe  to  tribe  with  pipes  and  belts  of  wampum, 
and  it  was  evident  that  some  uncommon  movement 
was  afoot.  English  agents  were  also  known  to  be 
very  active  in  assisting  in  the  excitement,  while  the 
object  of  all  this  was  kept  entirely  secret  from  the 
Americans  and  friendly  Indian  chiefs.  It  was  esti 
mated  by  those  familiar  with  Indian  affairs,  that  in 
the  month  of  August  the  Prophet  and  Tecumseh 
had  gained  the  leadership  of  seven  or  eight  hundred 
Indians  at  Fort  Wayne  and  Greenville.  Many  of 
these  were  armed  with  new  rifles. 

These  facts  coming  to  the  knowledge  of  the  gov 
ernor  of  Ohic,  he  sent  Thomas  Worthington  and 


THE  BAND  AT  GREENVILLE. 


Duncan  Me  Arthur  to  Greenville  to  hold  a  council 
with  the  Prophet  and  Tecumseh,  in  order  to  inquire 
what  was  their  intention  in  assembling  so  large  a 
body  of  Indians  within  the  limits  of  the  land  they 
had  already  ceded  to  the  United  States  in  1795. 
These  commissioners  were  courteously  received,  and 
a  general  council  of  the  Indians  was  called,  at  which 
Stephen  Ruddell,  who  had  lived  among  them  seven 
teen  years  and  understood  the  Shawnee  tongue, 
acted  as  interpreter.  The  governor's  letter  was  first 
read  and  interpreted  in  the  Shawnee,  Pottawatomie, 
and  Chippewa  languages.  The  commissioners  then 
made  a  speech  referring  to  the  relations  existing  be 
tween  the  Indians  and  the  United  States  in  the  past, 
Great  Britain's  policy  toward  the  latter,  and  the  im 
portance  of  the  Indians  remaining  neutral  in  the 
event  of  a  war  between  these  two  nations. 

The  council  was  continued  the  following  day,  when 
it  was  announced  that  the  Shawnee  chief,  Blue  Jacket, 
who  was  authorized  by  all  the  Indians  present  to 
speak  for  them,  would  answer  the  commissioners. 

"  Brethren,"  said  Blue  Jacket,  "  we  are  seated 
who  heard  you  yesterday.  You  will  get  a  true  re 
lation,  as  far  as  we  and  our  connections  can  give  it, 
who  are  as  follows  :  Shawnees,  Wyandots,  Pottawat- 
omies,  Tawas,  Chippewas,  VVinnepaus,  Malominese, 
Malockese,  Secawgoes,  and  one  more  from  the  north 


126  TECUMSEH. 

of  the  Chippe\vas.  Brethren,  you  see  all  these  men 
sitting  before  you  who  now  speak  to  you. 

"  About  eleven  days  ago  we  had  a  council  at 
which  the  tribe  of  Wyandots,  the  elder  brother  of 
the  red  people,  spoke  and  said,  God  had  kindled  a 
fire,  and  all  sat  around  it  In  this  council  we  talked 
over  the  treaties  with  the  French  and  the  Americans. 
The  Wyandots  said,  the  French  formerly  marked  a 
line  along  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  southerly  to 
Charleston  (S.  C).  No  man  was  to  pass  it  from  either 
side.  When  the  Americans  came  to  settle  over  the 
line,  the  English  told  the  Indians  to  unite  and  drive 
off  the  French,  until  the  war  came  on  between  the 
British  and  Americans,  when  it  was  told  them  that 
King  George,  by  his  officers,  directed  them  to  unite 
and  drive  the  Americans  back. 

"After  the  treaty  of  peace  between  the  English  and 
the  Americans,  the  summer  before  Wayne's  army 
came  out,  the  English  held  a  council  with  the  In 
dians,  and  told  them  if  they  would  unite  as  one  man, 
they  might  surround  the  Americans  like  deer  in  a  ring 
of  fire  and  destroy  them  all.  The  Wyandot  spoke 
further  in  the  council.  We  see,  said  he,  there  is 
like  to  be  war  between  the  English  and  our  white 
brethren,  the  Americans  Let  us  unite  and  consid 
er  the  sufferings  we  have  undergone  from  interfering 
in  the  wars  of  the  English.  They  have  often  prom 


THE  PROPHET  IN  COUNCIL.  12J 

ised  to  help  us,  and  at  last,  when  we  could  not  with 
stand  the  army  that  came  upon  us,  and  went  to  the 
English  fort  for  refuge,  the  English  told  us,  '  I  cannot 
let  you  in ;  you  are  painted  too  much,  my  children/ 
It  was  then  we  saw  the  English  dealt  treacherously 
with  us.  We  now  see  them  going  to  war  again. 
We  do  not  know  what  they  are  going  to  fight  for. 
Let  us,  my  brethren,  not  interfere,  was  the  speech 
of  the  Wyandot. 

"  Further,  the  Wyandot  said,  I  speak  to  you,  my 
little  brother,  the  Shawnee  at  Greenville,  and  to  you 
our  little  brothers  all  around.  You  appear  to  be  at 
Greenville  to  serve  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  Uni 
verse.  Now  send  forth  your  speeches  to  all  our 
brethren  far  around  us,  and  let  us  unite  to  seek  for 
that  which  shall  be  for  our  eternal  welfare,  and  unite 
ourselves  in  a  band  of  perpetual  brotherhood. 
These,  brethren,  are  the  sentiments  of  all  the  men 
who  sit  around  you ;  they  all  adhere  to  what  the 
elder  brother,  the  Wyandot,  has  said,  and  these  are 
their  sentiments.  It  is  not  that  they  are  afraid  of 
their  white  brethren,  but  that  they  desire  peace  and 
harmony,  and  not  that  their  white  brethren  could 
put  them  to  great  necessity,  for  their  former  arms 
were  bows  and  arrows  by  which  they  got  their  liv- 
ing." 

The  commissioners    made    some   explanations   in 


128  TECUMSEH. 

reply  to  the  speech  of  Blue  Jacket.  They  were  then 
told  that  the  Prophet  would  tell  the  reasons  why  the 
Indians  had  established  themselves  at  Greenville. 
"  He  then  proceeded  to  inform  us,"  say  the  commis 
sioners  in  their  report,  "  that  about  three  years  since 
he  became  convinced  of  the  error  of  his  ways,  and 
that  he  would  be  destroyed  from  the  face  of  the  earth 
if  he  did  not  amend  them  ;  that  it  was  soon  after 
known  to  him  what  he  should  do  to  be  right ;  that 
from  that  time  he  constantly  preached  to  his  red 
brethren  the  miserable  situation  they  were  in  by  na 
ture,  and  endeavored  to  convince  them  that  they 
must  change  their  lives,  live  honestly,  and  be  just  in 
all  their  dealings ;  kind  toward  one  another  and  their 
white  brethren ;  affectionate  toward  their  families ;  put 
away  lying  and  slandering,  and  serve  the  Great 
Spirit  in  the  way  He  had  pointed  out ;  never  think 
of  war  again;  that  tile  Lord  did  not  give  them  the 
tomahawk  to  go  to  war  with  one  another.  His  red 
brethren,  the  chiefs  of  the  Shawnees  at  Tawa  town, 
would  not  listen  to  him,  but  persecuted  him.  This 
produced  a  division  in  the  nation ;  those  who  ad 
hered  to  him  separated  themselves  from  their  brethren 
at  Tawa  town,  removed  with  him,  and  settled  where 
he  now  was,  and  where  he  had  constantly  preached 
the  above  doctrine  to  all  the  strangers  who  came  to 
see  them.  They  did  not  remove  to  this  place  be- 


THE  PROPHET  IN  COUNCIL.  129 

cause  it  was  a  pretty  place  or  very  valuable,  for  it 
was  neither,  but  because  it  was  revealed  to  him  that 
the  place  was  a  proper  one  to  establish  his  doctrines ; 
that  he  meant  to  adhere  to  them  while  he  lived  ;  they 
were  not  his  own,  nor  were  they  taught  him  by 
man,  but  by  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  Universe ; 
that  his  future  life  should  prove  to  his  brethren  the 
sincerity  of  his  professions.  He  then  told  us  that  six 
chiefs  should  go  with  us  to  Chillicothe." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

TECUMSEH'S    DEFIANT   SPEECHES, 

ACCORDING  to  the  Prophet's  promise,  four  chiefs— 
Tecumseh,  Blue  Jacket,  Roundhead,  and  Panther — 
returned  with  the  commissioners  to  the  seat  of  govern 
ment  in  Ohio.  Here  they  remained  about  a  week, 
during  which  time  a  council  was  held.  Curiously 
enough,  Tecumseh,  who  seems  to  have  reserved  his 
eloquence  for  some  one  of  more  importance  than  the 
commissioners,  was  the  principal  speaker  at  this  con 
ference  held  with  the  governor  of  Ohio.  He  at  one 
time  spoke  for  three  hours.  In  this  speech  he  un 
dertook  to  prove  the  nullity  of  the  treaties  under 
which  the  Americans  claimed  any  land  north  and 
west  of  the  Ohio.  >£Ie  reviewed  all  the  treaties  of 
the  whites  with  the  Western  tribes  in  their  order,  and 
showed  a  thorough  knowledge  of  them.  He  denied 
their  validity  with  great  bitterness  and  scorn,  and 
boldly  declared  his  intention  of  resisting  any  further 
encroachments  of  the  whites.  While  he  so  frankly 
stated  his  opinions,  he  still  disavowed  any  intention 
of  making  war  on  the  whites. 

Tecumseh's   eloquence  is    highly   spoken   of   by 


TECUMSEH'S  DEFIANT  SPEECHES. 

those  who  heard  this  speech.  "  The  utterance  of 
the  speaker  was  rapid  and  vehement ;  his  manner 
bold  and  commanding;  his  gestures  impassioned, 
quick,  and  violent,  his  countenance  indicating  that 
there  was  something  more  in  his  mind  struggling 
for  utterance  than  he  deemed  it  prudent  to  express." 
The  governor  was  satisfied  at  the  close  of  this  coun 
cil  that  there  was  no  immediate  danger  to  be  feareo 
from  these  Indians  at  Greenville  and  Fort  Wayne, 
and  disbanded  the  militia  which  had  been  called  into 
service. 

In  the  fall  of  1807,  new  apprehensions  arose  in 
consequence  of  the  murder  of  a  white  man  near  the 
spot  where  Urbana  now  stands,  by  some  straggling 
Indians.  This  event,  and  the  fact  that  so  many  In 
dians  were  assembled  under  the  Prophet,  produced 
a  great  alarm  on  the  frontier,  which  led  many  fam 
ilies  to  return  to  Kentucky.  The  whites  made  a 
demand  on  Tecumseh  and  the  Prophet  for  the  mur 
derers.  They,  however,  denied  any  knowledge  of 
the  affair.  In  order  to  quiet  the  increasing  disturb 
ance,  it  was  finally  agreed  that  a  council  should  be 
held  at  Springfield. 

In  this  council,  which  included  in  all  nearly  three 
hundred  Indians,  were  present  two  parties — one 
from  the  north  and  that  of  Tecumseh,  consisting 
of  sixty  or  seventy  warriors,  including  Round- 


132  TECUMSEH. 

head,  Blackfish,  and  sevcra*  other  chiefs.  Between 
these  two  parties  some  jealousy  existed,  and  each 
was  willing  that  the  other  should  be  blamed  with 
the  murder.  The  commissioners  wished  the  Indians 
to  leave  their  arms  a  few  miles  outside  of  Springfield. 
With  this  request  the  northern  party  complied,  but 
Tecumseh,  who  was  never  willing  to  appear  in  any 
council  without  proper  dignity,  refused.  The  con 
ference  was  held  in  a  maple  grove.  After  it  was 
opened,  the  commissioners,  who  feared  some  violence, 
renewed  their  efforts  to  induce  Tecumseh  to  lay  aside 
his  arms.  He  refused  again,  saying  his  tomahawk 
was  also  his  pipe,  and  he  might  wish  to  use  it  as  such 
before  they  closed  their  session.  (The  tomahawk 
had  a  pipe-bowl  on  the  back.)  At  this  point  a  long, 
lank  Pennsylvanian,  who  was  among  the  spectators, 
approaching  Tecumseh  with  great  caution,  handed 
him  his  pipe,  a  long-stemmed,  dirty-looking  earthen 
affair,  intimating  that  Tecumseh  might  smoke  it  if  he 
would  deliver  up  the  dreadful  tomahawk.  The 
kingly  chief  took  it  between  his  thumb  and  finger, 
held  it  up,  looked  at  it  and  then  at  the  owner,  who 
was  cautiously  backing  away,  and  then  threw  it  with 
an  indignant  sneer  over  his  head  into  the  bushes. 

The  oldest  chief  present,  Tarfee,  or  the  Crane, 
who  was  head  chief  of  the  Wyandots,  took  charge 
of  the  opening  ceremonies  in  the  council.  The 


TECUMSEH'S  DEFIANT  SPEECHES.        133 

chiefs  and  braves  were  seated  in  a  semicircle  in 
front  of  the  agent's  stand.  The  peace-pipe  was 
passed  round  in  token  of  good-will.  The  old  chief 
of  the  Wyandots  and  the  chief  of  the  Ottawas  re 
plied  in  a  conciliatory  tone,  and  all  seemed  to  be 
going  on  toward  a  peaceful  termination.  But  un 
happily  Tecumseh's  part  was  no  longer  that  of  peace 
maker.  The  growth  of  his  ambitious  plans  involved 
the  keeping  alive  of  hostile  feeling  towards  the 
whites ;  and  no  doubt  the  hatred  of  his  childhood 
and  the  conflicts  of  his  early  manhood  had  left  a 
deep  and  bitter  antagonism  in  his  mind.  Just  at 
this  moment  of  reconciliation  he  rose  and  made  a 
speech  of  fiery  eloquence,  tracking  the  history  of  the 
relations  of  the  two  races  from  the  first  settlements 
to  his  own  time.  So  tremendous  was  the  effect  of 
this  defiant  oratory,  that  the  younger  warriors  were 
hardly  able  to  keep  their  seats  in  the  council,  and 
even  the  old  men,  who  sat  smoking,  showed  the 
greatest  excitement,  so  that  the  immediate  breaking 
up  of  the  council  seemed  imminent.  Tecumseh, 
when  he  had  closed,  turned  his  back  an  the  agent's 
stand  and  walked  to  the  remotest  part  of  the  semicir 
cle,  where  he  took  his  seat  among  the  young  braves. 
Here  again,  as  elsewhere,  the  interpreter  was  obliged 
to  confess  his  inability  to  put  Tecumseh's  speech  into 
a  foreign  tongue.  There  were  some  parts  that  he 


134  TECUMSEH. 

puq>osely  omitted,  fearing  that  General  Simon  Ktn- 
ton,  who  was  one  of  the  agents  at  this  council,  would 
not  brook  words  that  "  were  so  defiant,  so  wrathful, 
so  denunciatory,  so  full  of  indignant  abuse."  But 
the  speech  was  not  meant  for  the  agents,  but  for  the 
Indians.  The  shrewd  Tecumseh  knew  that  all  of  the 
Indians  present  would  give  admiring  reports  of  his  gal 
lant  defiance  of  the  whites,  by  every  camp-fire.  Thus 
his  ascendency  would  be  extended  in  other  tribes. 
He  was  not  unlike  the  congressman  whose  speech 
is  made  for  the  newspapers. 

The  council  afterward  became  more  conciliatory, 
and  the  affair  was  settled. 

During  their  stay  at  Springfield  the  Indians  amused 
themselves  several  times  with  games  and  athletic 
sports.  In  these  Tecumseh  was  generally  victorious. 
Those  who  attended  the  council  admired  his  splendid 
physical  vigor  almost  as  much  as  his  intellectual 
character. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

GENERAL  HARRISON  AND  THE  PROI'HET. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON  was  born  in  Vir 
ginia,  in  the  year  1773.  His  father,  Benjamin  Har 
rison,  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  When  very  young,  Harrison  was  de 
sirous  of  joining  the  Western  campaign  under  St 
Clair.  For  this  purpose,  Washington,  who  had  been 
an  intimate  friend  of  his  father,  gave  him  an  appoint 
ment 

He  set  out,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  with  the  com 
mission  of  ensign  to  join  the  army,  and  arrived  im 
mediately  after  St.  Glair's  defeat.  When  General 
Wayne  came  into  control  of  the  North-Western  army 
he  noticed  the  spirit  and  wisdom  of  young  Harrison, 
and  appointed  him  one  of  his  aids-de-camp.  In  this 
capacity  he  fought  in  Wayne's  campaign  in  1794, 
and  received  flattering  commendation  from  his  com 
mander. 

On  the  death  of  General  Wayne,  in  1797,  Harrison 
left  the  army  and  was  appointed  secretary  of  the 
Northwestern  Territory.  He  declined  to  allow  his 
name  to  be  brought  forward  for  the  governorship, 


136  TECUMSEH. 

because  he  was  unwilling  to  be  brought  into  compe 
tition  with  St.  Clair.  In  1801,  on  the  erection  of 
the  territory  of  Indiana,  he  was  appointed  governor 
of  the  new  territory,  and  ex-officio  superintendent  of 
Indian  affairs.  He  was  made  by  President  Jefferson 
sole  commissioner  for  treating  with  the  Indians.  It 
was  thus  that  he  came  to  be  so  nearly  connected 
with  the  history  of  Tecumseh. 

The  council  with  Tecumseh  at  Springfield  in  1807 
did  not  quiet  the  general  alarm  on  the  frontier. 
Governor  Harrison,  in  the  autumn  of  this  year,  sent 
a  speech,  by  one  of  the  Indian  agents,  named  John 
Connor,  to  the  head  chiefs  of  the  Shawnees.  These 
chiefs,  and  probably  Tecumseh  among  them,  were 
absent  from  Greenville  when  the  speech  was  deliv 
ered.  The  Prophet  listened  patiently  while  it  was 
read,  as  follows,  to  him  : — 

"  MY  CHILDREN  :  Listen  to  me.  I  speak  in  the 
name  of  your  father,  the  great  chief  of  the  Seventeen 
Fires. 

"My  children,  it  is  now  twelve  years  since  the 
tomahawk,  which  you  had  raised  by  the  advice  of 
your  father,  the  King  of  Great  Britain,  was  buried  at 
Greenville,  in  the  presence  of  that  great  warrior, 
General  Wayne. 

"  My  children,  you  then  promised,  and  the  Great 
Spirit  heard  it,  that  you  would  in  future  live  in 


GENERAL  HARRISON  AND  THE  PKOPHET.     137 

peace  and  friendship  with  your  brothers,  the  Ameri 
cans.  You  made  a  treaty  with  your  father,  and  one 
that  contained  a  number  of  good  things,  equally 
beneficial  to  all  the  tribes  of  red  people  who  were 
parties  to  it 

"  My  children,  you  promised  in  tnat  treaty  to  ac 
knowledge  no  other  father  than  the  chief  of  the 
Seventeen  Fires,  and  never  to  listen  to  the  proposi 
tion  of  any  foreign  nation.  You  promised  never  to 
lift  up  the  tomahawk  against  any  of  your  father's 
children,  and  to  give  notice  of  any  other  tribe  that 
intended  it  Your  father  also  promised  to  do  some 
thing  for  you,  particularly  to  deliver  to  you  every 
year  a  certain  quantity  of  goods,  to  prevent  any 
white  man  from  settling  on  your  lands  without  your 
consent,  or  to  do  you  any  personal  injury.  He 
promised  to  run  a  line  between  your  land  and  his,  so 
that  you  might  know  your  own ;  and  you  were  to  be 
permitted  to  live  and  hunt  upon  your  father's  land  as 
long  as  you  behaved  yourselves  well.  My  children, 
which  of  these  articles  has  your  father  broken  ?  You 
know  that  he  has  observed  them  all  with  the  utmost 
good  faith.  But,  my  children,  have  you  done  so  ? 
Have  you  not  always  had  your  ears  open  to  receive 
bad  advice  from  the  white  people  beyond  the  lakes  ? 

"  My  children,  let  us  look  back  to  times  that  are  past 
It  has  been  a  long  time  since  you  called  the  King  of 


138  TECUMSEH. 

Great  Britain  father.  You  know  that  it  is  the  duty 
of  a  father  to  watch  over  his  children,  tc  give  them 
good  advice,  and  to  do  everything  in  his  power  to 
make  them  happy.  What  has  this  father  of  yours  done 
for  you  during  the  time  that  you  looked  up  to  him 
for  protection  and  advice  ?  Are  you  wiser  and  hap 
pier  than  you  were  before  you  knew  him;  or  is  your 
nation  stronger  or  more  respectable  ?  No,  my  chil 
dren,  he  took  you  by  the  hand  when  you  were  a 
powerful  tribe  ;  you  held  him  fast,  supposing  he  was 
your  friend,  and  he  conducted  you  through  paths 
filled  with  thorns  and  briars,  which  tore  your  flesh 
and  shed  your  blood.  Your  strength  was  exhausted, 
and  you  could  no  longer  follow  him.  Did  he  stay  by 
you  in  your  distress  and  assist  and  comfort  you  ? 
No,  he  led  you  into  dangers  and  then  abandoned 
you.  He  saw  your  blood  flowing,  and  he  would  give 
you  no  bandage  to  tie  up  your  wounds.  This  was 
the  conduct  of  the  man  who  called  himself  your 
father.  The  Great  Spirit  opened  your  eyes;  you 
heard  the  voice  of  the  chief  of  the  Seventeen  Fires 
speaking  words  of  peace.  He  called  you  to  follow 
him ;  you  came  to  him,  and  he  once  more  put  you 
on  the  right  way — on  the  broad,  smooth  road  that 
would  have  led  to  happiness.  But  the  voice  of  your 
deceiver  is  again  heard,  and,  forgetful  of  your  former 
sufferings,  you  are  listening  to  him. 


GENERAL  HARRISON  AND  THE  PROPHET.     139 

"  My  children,  shut  your  ears  and  mind  him  not. 
or  he  will  lead  you  to  ruin  and  misery. 

"  My  children,  I  have  heard  bad  news.  The  sacred 
spot  where  the  great  council-fire  was  kindled,  around 
which  the  Seventeen  Fires  and  ten  tribes  of  their 
children  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace — that  very  spot 
where  the  Great  Spirit  saw  his  red  and  white  children 
encircle  themselves  with  the  chain  of  friendship  — 
that  place  has  been  selected  for  dark  and  bloody 
councils. 

"  My  children,  this  business  must  be  stopped.  You 
have  called  in  a  number  of  men  from  the  most  distant 
tribes  to  listen  to  a  fool,  who  speaks  not  the  words  of 
the  Great  Spirit,  but  those  of  the  devil  and  of  the 
British  agents.  My  children,  your  conduct  has  much 
alarmed  the  white  settlers  near  you.  They  desire 
that  you  will  send  away  those  people,  and  if  they 
wish  to  have  the  impostor  with  them  they  can  carry 
him.  Let  him  go  to  the  lakes;  he  can  hear  the 
British  more  distinctly." 

When  the  reading  of  this  speech  was  finished,  :he 
Prophet  dictated  the  following  answer: — 

"  Father,  I  am  sorry  that  you  listen  to  the  advice 
of  bad  birds.  You  have  impeached  me  with  having 
correspondence  with  the  British,  and  with  calling 
and  sending  for  Indians  from  the  most  distant  part  of 
the  country,  *  to  listen  to  a  fool  that  speaks  not  the 


140  TECUMSEH. 

words  of  the  Great  Spirit,  but  the  words  of  the  devil.1 
Father,  these  impeachments  I  deny,  and  say  they  are 
not  true.  I  never  had  a  word  with  the  British,  and  1 
never  sent  for  any  Indians.  They  came  here  them 
selves  to  listen  and  hear  the  words  of  the  Great 
Spirit 

"  Father,  I  wish  you  would  not  listen  any  more  to 
the  voice  of  bad  birds ;  and  you  may  rest  assured 
that  it  is  the  least  of  our  idea  to  make  disturbance, 
and  we  will  rather  try  to  stop  any  such  proceedings 
than  to  encourage  them." 

A  man  by  the  name  of  John  Tanner,  who  had  been 
faken  captive  by  the  Indians  when  a  boy,  was  at  this 
time  among  the  Chippewas,  or  Ojibbeways,  a  nation 
living  then  as  now  on  Lake  Superior  and  Lake 
Michigan,  and  known  to  all  readers  of  literature  as 
the  people  made  famous  by  Longfellow's  poem  of 
H'awatha.  He  gives  an  interesting  account  of  the 
influence  of  the  Prophet's  reputation  over  the  super 
stitious  mind  of  the  Indian. 

He  says  that  news  reached  this  distant  people  that 
the  Shawriees  had  received  a  revelation  from  the 
Great  Spirit  A  messenger  brought  this  piece  of 
information,  and  appeared  deeply  impressed  with  the 
solemnity  of  his  mission.  When  he  arrived  he  at 
first  maintained  a  long  and  mysterious  silence  before 
announcing  that  he  was  the  forerunner  of  the  gicat 


GENERAL  HARRISON  AND  THE  PROPHET.   14! 

Prophet,  who  would  soon  shake  hands  with  the  Chip- 
pewas,  reveal  to  them  his  inspired  character,  and  set 
forth  the  new  manner  of  living  which  they  were  here 
after  to  adopt.  He  repeated  the  doctrines  of  the 
Prophet  to  them,  and  solemnly  enjoined  the  observ 
ance  of  his  system  of  morals.  A  strong  impression 
was  made  by  all  this  upon  the  principal  men  among1 
the  Chippewas,  and  a  time  was  appointed  and  a 
lodge  built,  that  the  new  doctrines  might  be  accepted 
in  public.  When  the  Indians  had  gathered  in  this 
lodge,  "  we  saw  something,"  says  Mr.  Tanner,  "  care 
fully  concealed  under  a  blanket,  in  figure  and  dimen 
sions  bearing  some  resemblance  to  a  man.  This  was 
accompanied  by  two  young  men,  who,  it  was  under 
stood,  attended  constantly  upon  it,  made  its  bed  at 
night,  as  for  a  man,  and  slept  near  it.  But  while  we 
remained  no  one  went  near  it,  or  raised  the  blanket 
which  was  spread  over  its  unknown  contents.  Four 
strings  of  mouldy  and  discolored  beads  were  all  the 
visible  insignia  of  his  important  mission.  After  a 
long  harangue,  in  which  the  prominent  features  of 
the  new  revelation  were  stated  and  urged  upon  the 
attention  of  all,  the  four  strings  of  beads,  which  we 
were  told  were  made  of  the  flesh  of  the  Prophet, 
were  carried  with  much  solemnity  to  each  man  in 
the  lodge,  and  he  was  expected  to  take  hold 
of  each  string  at  the  top,  and  draw  them  gently 


142  TECUMSEH. 

through  his  hand.  This  was  called  shaking  hands 
with  the  Prophet,  and  was  considered  as  solemnly 
engaging  to  obey  his  injunctions  and  accept  of  his 
mission  as  from  the  Supreme.  All  the  Indians  who 
touched  the  beads  had  previously  killed  their  dogs ; 
they  gave  up  their  medicine  bags,  and  showed  a  dis 
position  to  comply  with  all  that  should  be  required 
of  them.  The  influence  of  the  Prophet  was  very 
sensibly  and  painfully  felt  by  the  remotest  Ojibbe- 
ways  of  whom  I  had  any  knowledge,  but  it 
was  not  the  common  impression  among  them  that 
his  doctrines  had  any  tendency  to  unite  them 
in  the  accomplishment  of  any  human  purpose. 
For  two  or  three  years,  drunkenness  was  much 
less  frequent  than  formerly,  was  less  thought  of, 
and  the  entire  aspect  of  things  among  them  was 
changed  by  the  influence  of  this  mission.  But  in 
time  these  new  impressions  were  obliterated,  medi 
cine  bags,  flints  and  steels,  the  use  of  which  had  been 
forbidden,  were  brought  into  use;  dogs  were  reared, 
women  and  children  beaten  as  before,  and  the 
Shawnee  Prophet  was  despised." 

Early  in  the  year  1808,  great  numbers  of  Indians 
came  flocking  from  the  lakes  to  visit  the  Prophet. 
With  the  characteristic  improvidence  of  savages, 
they  prolonged  their  visit  until  their  provisions  were 
entirely  exhausted.  Their  religious  excitement  cf 


GENERAL  HARRISON  AND  THE  PROPHET.   I4J 

the  previous  year  had  interfered  with  the  more  pro 
saic  occupation  of  corn-raising.  Governor  Harrison 
benevolently  and  prudently  (for  hungry  Indians  are 
apt  to  be  dangerous  neighbors)  ordered  them  to  be 
supplied  from  the  public  stores  at  Fort  Wayne.  The 
Indian  agent  who  carried  out  this  order  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  Prophet's  followers  had  no  hostile 
designs  against  the  United  States.  It  seems  very 
likely  that  in  the  beginning  the  purpose  of  the 
Prophet  was  simply  the  establishment  of  a  new  relig 
ion,  with  an  accompanying  reformation  of  morals, 
and  that  he  got  many  suggestions  in  a  fragmentary 
and  distorted  way  from  the  missionaries  who  had 
preached  Christianity  among  the  Indians.  As  with 
Mohammed  and  other  leaders,  the  political  purpose 
was  an  afterthought.  It  may  have  been  the  rising 
influence  of  Tecumseh  that  gave  this  final  bent  to  the 
preaching  of  the  Prophet.  Tecumseh,  about  1808, 
visited  the  Mississinawa  villages.  The  object  of  this 
trip  could  not  be  discovered,  but  it  was  probably 
connected  with  his  incipient  scheme  of  uniting  the 
Indians  in  a  confederacy,  of  which  he  should  be  the 
leader.  The  Indians  in  these  towns  promised  to 
meet  him  and  his  brother  the  following  June,  on  the 
Wabash,  to  which  place  they  had  decided  to  move. 
An  Indian  agent,  Mr.  Jouett,  wrote  to  the  governor 
that  he  feared  this  meeting  would  result  in  some 


144  TECUMSEH. 

hostile  movement  on  the  frontier,  and  advised  that 
the  Prophet  should  be  seized  and  imprisoned,  in 
order  to  extinguish  his  influence.  General  Harrison 
rejected  this  proposition,  probably  because  so  violent 
a  measure  would  have  precipitated  hostilities  with 
Tecumseh's  band. 

The  Pottawatomies  and  Kickapoos  granted  Te- 
cumseh  and  the  Prophet  a  tract  of  land  on  the  Tip- 
pecanoe,  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Wabash  River. 
To  this  place,  in  the  western  part  of  what  is  now  the 
State  of  Indiana,  Tecumseh  and  the  Prophet,  with 
their  party,  started  to  remove  in  the  spring  of  1 808, 
much  to  the  relief,  no  doubt,  of  their  civilized  neigh 
bors  in  Ohio.  The  Miami  and  Delaware  nations 
had  strong  objections  to  their  establishing  themselves 
on  the  Wabash,  and  set  out  to  prevent  it.  At  this 
time  the  number  of  the  Prophet's  immediate  band 
was  still  very  small,  there  being  only  about  forty 
Shawnees  and  less  than  a  hundred  of  other  nations, 
mostly  Pottawatomies,  Chippewas,  Ottawas,  and  Win- 
nebagoes.  Tecumseh,  however,  boldly  met  the  de 
putation  of  chiefs  from  the  Miamis  and  Delawares, 
and  turned  them  back  from  their  purpose  of  stopping 
his  settlement  in  Indiana.  They  returned  to  their 
tribes,  but  with  strong  suspicions  of  the  motives  of 
the  brothers. 

Tecumseh  and  his  brother  established  a  village  on 


GENERAL  HARRISON  AND  THE  PROPHET.  14$ 

the  Tippecanoe,  which  came  to  be  known  as  the 
Prophet's  Town.  They  now  drew  around  them  a 
body  of  Northern  Indians,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the 
Miamis  and  Delawares.  The  Prophet's  followers 
here,  for  the  first  time,  began  to  combine  warlike 
sports  with  their  religious  exercises.  Tecumseh's 
genius  for  war  was  gradually  asserting  its  ascendency 
over  the  Prophet's  gift  for  exciting  religious  fanati 
cism. 

The  Prophet  now  announced  that  he  intended  to 
visit  Governor  Harrison,  in  order  to  explain  his 
movements  and  to  procure  provisions  for  his  band. 
He  said  "  these  could  not  be  consistently  withheld 
from  him,  since  the  white  people  had  always  encour 
aged  him  to  preach  the  word  of  God  to  the  Indians, 
and  it  was  in  this  holy  work  that  he  was  now 
engaged." 

In  the  latter  part  of  June,  1 808,  he  sent  a  small 
deputation  of  Indians  to  Vincennes  with  a  "  speech " 
to  the  governor.  This  speech  denied  all  the  unfa 
vorable  representations  of  his  purposes  which  had 
been  circulated,  saying  that  he  and  Tecumseh  wished 
to  live  in  peace  with  the  white  people,  and  promis 
ing  soon  to  visit  the  governor.  The  messenger 
who  bore  this  speech  of  the  Prophet's,  said,  in  a  con 
ference  with  the  governor : — 

"  I  have  now  listened  to  that  man  upward  of  three 
7 


1 46  TECUMSEH. 

years,  and  have  never  heard  him  give  any  but  good 
advice.  He  tells  us  that  we  must  pray  to  the  Great 
Spirit  who  made  the  world  and  everything  in  it  for 
our  use.  He  tells  us  that  no  man  could  make  the 
plants,  the  trees,  and  the  animals,  but  that  they  must 
be  made  by  the  Great  Spirit,  to  whom  we  ought  to 
pray  and  obey  in  all  things.  He  tells  us  not  to  lie, 
to  steal,  nor  to  drink  whisky ;  not  to  go  to  war,  but 
to  live  in  peace  with  all  mankind.  He  tells  us  also 
to  work  and  make  corn." 

In  August,  the  Prophet  made  his  visit,  staying  two 
weeks  at  Vincennes,  and  holding  frequent  interviews 
with  Governor  Harrison.  To  prove  his  sincerity  and 
earnestness,  he  frequently  addressed  the  Indians,  who 
were  with  him  in  the  presence  of  the  governor, 
dwelling  upon  the  great  evils  resulting  from  war  and 
the  use  of  liquor.  Harrison  soon  formed  a  very 
favorable  estimate  of  the  Prophet's  talents.  He 
tested  his  influence  over  his  followers  by  holding 
conversations  with  them  and  offering  them  whisky, 
which  they  always  refused.  The  governor  had  long 
been  interested  in  the  discussion  of  what  was  to  be 
done  for  the  Indians,  and  had  many  times  urged,  in 
his  letters  to  the  government,  the  necessity  for  keep- 
ing  whisky  from  them.  He  now  began  to  hope  that 
this  preacher  of  temperance  might  better  their  con 
dition. 


GENERAL  HARRISON  AND  THE  PROPHET. 


Before  the  close  of  his  visit,  the  Prophet  delivered 
this  speech  before  the  governor  :  — 

"  FATHER:  It  is  three  years  since  I  first  began 
that  system  of  religion  which  I  now  practice.  The 
white  people  and  some  of  the  Indians  were  against 
me,  but  I  had  no  other  intention  but  to  introduce 
among  the  Indians  those  good  principles  of  religion 
which  the  white  people  profess.  I  was  spoken  badly 
of  by  the  white  people,  who  reproached  me  with 
misleading  the  Indians,  but  I  defy  them  to  say 
that  I  did  anything  amiss. 

"Father,  I  was  told  you  intended  to  hang  me. 
When  I  heard  this,  I  intended  to  remember  it  and 
tell  my  father  when  I  went  to  see  him  and  relate  to 
him  the  truth. 

"  I  heard,  when  I  settled  on  the  Wabash,  that  my 
father,  the  governor,  had  declared  that  all  the  land 
between  Vincennes  and  Fort  Wayne  was  the  prop 
erty  of  the  Seventeen  Fires.  I  also  heard  that  you 
wanted  to  know,  my  father,  whether  I  was  God  or 
man  ;  and  that  you  said  if  I  was  the  former  I  should 
not  steal  horses.  I  heard  this  from  Mr.  Wells,  but  I 
believed  it  originated  with  himself. 

"The  Great  Spirit  told  me  to  tell  the  Indians 
that  he  had  made  them,  and  made  the  world— 
that  he  had  placed  them  on  it  to  do  good  and  not 
eviL 


148  TECUMSEH. 

"  I  told  all  the  redskins  that  the  way  they  were  in 
was  not  good,  and  that  they  ought  to  abandon  it. 

"  That  we  ought  to  consider  ourselves  as  one  man, 
but  we  ought  to  live  agreeably  to  our  several  cus 
toms,  the  red  people  after  their  mode  and  the  white 
people  after  theirs ;  particularly  that  they  should  not 
drink  whisky;  that  it  was  not  made  for  them,  but 
for  the  white  people  who  knew  how  to  use  it,  and 
that  it  is  the  cause  of  all  the  mischiefs  which  the  In 
dians  suffer,  and  that  they  must  follow  the  directions 
of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  we  must  listen  to  Him,  as  it 
was  He  that  made  us  ;  determine  to  listen  to  nothing 
that  is  bad  ;  do  not  take  up  the  tomahawk  should  it 
be  offered  by  the  British  or  by  the  Long  Knives  ;  do 
not  meddle  with  anything  that  does  not  belong  to 
you,  but  mind  your  own  business  and  cultivate  the 
ground,  that  your  women  and  children  may  have 
enough  to  live  on. 

"  I  now  inform  you  that  it  is  our  intention  to  live 
in  peace  with  our  father  and  his  people  forever. 

"  My  father,  I  have  informed  you  what  we  mean 
to  do,  and  I  call  the  Great  Spirit  to  witness  the  truth 
of  my  declaration.  The  religion  which  I  have  estab 
lished  for  the  last  three  years  has  been  ittended  by 
all  the  different  tribes  of  Indians  in  this  part  of  the 
world.  Those  Indians  were  once  different  people; 
they  are  now  but  one ;  they  are  all  determined  to 


GENERAL  HARRISON  AND  THE  PROPHET.   149 

practice  what  I  have  communicated  to  them,  that  has 
come  immediately  from  the  Great  Spirit  through  me. 

"  Brother,  I  speak  to  you  as  a  warrior.  You  are 
one.  But  let  us  lay  aside  this  character  and  attend 
to  the  care  of  our  children,  that  they  may  live  in 
comfort  and  peace.  We  desire  that  you  will  join  us 
for  the  preservation  of  both  red  and  white  people. 
Formerly,  when  we  lived  in  ignorance,  we  were  fool 
ish  ;  but  now,  since  we  listen  to  the  voice  of  the  Great 
Spirit,  we  are  happy. 

"I  have  listened  to  what  you  have  said  to  us. 
You  have  promised  to  assist  us.  I  now  request  you, 
in  behalf  of  all  the  red  people,  to  use  your  exertions 
to  prevent  the  sale  of  liquor  to  us.  We  are  all  well 
pleased  to  hear  you  say  that  you  will  endeavor  to 
promote  our  happiness.  We  give  you  every  assur 
ance  that  we  will  follow  the  dictates  of  the  Great 
Spirit. 

"  We  are  all  well  pleased  with  the  attention  you 
have  shown  us,  also  with  the  good  intentions  of  our 
father,  the  President.  If  you  give  us  a  few  articles, 
such  as  needles,  flints,  hoes,  powder,  etc.,  we  will  take 
the  animals  that  afford  us  meat  with  powder  and 
ball." 

This  speech  has  the  characteristic  Indian  perora 
tion.  A  bit  of  begging  is  in  almost  every  speech  of 
the  kind,  and  the  close  of  this  plea  of  the  Prophet's 


ISO  TECUMSEH. 

attests  its  genuineness.  Nor  can  one  read  this  part 
of  Tenskwatawa's  life  without  feeling  that  beneath  all 
his  ignorance,  persecuting  fanaticism,  and  imposture, 
there  was  a  real  ambition  to  be  a  benefactor  to  the 
Indians.  Like  many  another  so-called  prophet,  he 
did  not  hold  out  so  well  as  he  began.  His  system  of 
religion  was  a  farrago  compounded  of  Indian  preju 
dices  and  scraps  of  ideas  gathered  here  and  there 
from  the  missionaries.  But  it  seems  to  have  been  a 
genuine  advance  on  the  superstitions  that  it  had  be 
gun  to  supplant,  and  under  more  favorable  circum 
stances  it  might  have  been  a  stepping-stone  to  a 
genuine  enlightenment  by  the  removal  of  old  preju 
dices  and  the  reformation  of  morals.  The  Prophet 
and  his  followers  received  a  supply  of  provisions  and 
returned  to  the  Tippecanoe,  leaving  the  governor  in 
doubt  as  to  whether  the  new  sect  really  had  any  hos 
tile  intentions  toward  the  United  States.  Harrison 
believed  afterward  that  the  Indian  seer  had  played 
him  false  in  this  movement,  and  that  this  display  of 
piety  was  a  mere  ruse  to  allay  his  fears  and  put  him 
off  his  guard. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PLANS  AND  CHARACTER  OF  TECUMSEH. 

IN  all  these  events  Tecumseh  stood  in  the  back- 
ground,  while  the  Prophet  seemed  to  be  the  leader. 
So  much  was  this  so  that,  at  the  time,  the  Prophet 
was  supposed  by  the  white  people,  including  the  gov 
ernor  and  President  Jefferson  himself,  to  be  the  sole 
mover  of  this  excitement  among  the  Indian  tribes. 
Tecumseh's  greatness  is  shown  in  nothing  more 
than  in  his  ability  to  wait.  He  must  have  had  a 
consciousness  of  talents  far  transcending  the  craft 
of  his  brother.  And  yet  he  quietly  saw  the  grow 
ing  fame  and  influence  of  the  latter.  When  the 
time  came  he  asserted  his  ascendency,  and  turned 
even  the  Prophet's  fame  and  power  to  his  own  pur 
pose,  which  was  a  far  less  practicable  one  than  that 
of  Tenskwatawa — being  nothing  less  than  the  for 
mation  of  a  vast  confederacy  of  the  Indian  tribes  to 
restrain  the  white  race  within  limits,  or,  if  possible, 
to  force  them  to  retreat  beyond  the  Alleghanies. 
It  was  in  his  failure  to  estimate  the  resources  of 
the  whites  and  the  relative  persistency  of  civiliza- 


I  $2  TECUMSEH. 

tion  and  savagery  that  the  weakness  of  the  Indian 
mind  shows  itself. 

But  the  scheme  of  Tecumseh  should  be  judged  from 
his  own  standpoint.  He  had  seen  the  whites  over 
thrown  under  Harmar  and  St.  Clair,  and  in  many  skir 
mishes  besides.  And  that  too  without  any  very  large 
combinations  among  the  Indians.  If  now  he  could 
succeed  in  bringing  together  all  the  Indians,  so  that 
the  Southern  border  should  be  harassed  at  the  same 
time  that  the  Western  border  was  being  overwhelmed, 
there  seemed  to  Tecumseh  a  great  likelihood  that  the 
whites  could  be  finally  defeated  and  brought  to  sue 
for  peace  at  the  hands  of  the  Indians. 

We  cannot  give  Tecumseh  credit  for  originality  in 
this  scheme.  The  idea  was  an  old  one  with  energetic 
Indian  warriors.  Pontiac,  before  Tecumseh's  birth, 
had  planned  a  similar  rising  against  the  whites,  and 
had  allied  himself  with  the  French  against  the  Eng 
lish,  as  Tecumseh  after  this  formed  an  alliance  with 
the  English  against  the  Americans.  But  with  the 
Tippecanoe  chieftain  originated  the  idea  of  making 
use  of  religious  fanaticism  and  superstition  as  a  mo 
tive  to  union  and  action.  It  is  hardly  likely  that 
Tecumseh  and  his  brother  deliberately  adopted 
prophecy  as  a  ruse.  Tenskwatawa,  indolent  and 
lacking  in  courage,  was  inferior  in  the  hunt  and  on 
the  battle-field.  What  more  natural  than  that  his 


PLANS  OF  TECUMSEH.  1 53 

crafty  spirit  should  seek  an  ascendency  of  another 
kind,  and  that  the  death  of  his  predecessor,  the 
Prophet  Change-of-Feathers,  should  have  suggested 
the  means.  That  he  soon  came  to  believe  in  his  own 
mission  is  not  unlikely.  Such  cases  of  self-delusion 
are  common  enough. 

It  seems  probable  that  Tecumseh,  ambitious  of 
military  fame,  and  desirous  of  leading  a  larger  band 
than  the  small  company  about  him,  saw  in  the  flock 
ing  of  the  tribes  to  the  preaching  of  his  brother  the 
opportunity  he  desired.  From  step  to  step  his  im 
agination  rose  to  his  large  scheme,  which  was  not  to 
form  a  temporary  alliance,  such  as  had  been  sought 
by  Pontiac  and  others,  but  a  great  and  permanent 
confederation — an  empire  of  red  men,  of  which  he 
should  be  the  leader  and  emperor. 

To  this  end  he  fostered  his  brother's  influence. 
He  raised  the  Prophet  to  the  highest  position  among 
his  followers,  and  affected  always  the  greatest  respect 
for  him,  as  though  he  were  a  superior  being,  and 
added  much  to  his  brother's  power  by  his  own  noble 
presence  and  influence  over  the  minds  of  others. 
But  though  the  Prophet  seemed  to  govern,  Tecumseh 
ruled  with  a  quiet  but  imperious  will.  It  is  probable 
that  he  distrusted  the  Prophet's  judgment,  for,  though 
Tenskwatawa  is  said  to  have  been  a  more  pleasing 
speaker  even  than  Tecumseh,  it  was  rarely  the  case 

7* 


154  TECUMSEH. 

that  he  uttered  a  word  in  council  when  Tecumseh 

was  present. 

Tecumseh  was  despotic,  but  not  a  tyrant.  His 
mind  was  large,  foreseeing  the  probable  destruction 
of  the  Indian  tribes  through  the  force  of  civilization. 
He  was  largely  patriotic  —  not  a  Shawnee,  but  a  red 
man  —  loving  all  red  people  and  working  for  their 
advancement.  He  was  a  remarkable  leader  of  men, 
_^  possessing  a  strong  influence  over  them ;  he  was 
brave  in  battle,  calm  and  dignified  in  every  presence, 
acknowledging  no  man  as  his  superior  by  the  slightest 
action,  and  fond  of  a  certain  regal  dignity  without 
pomp ;  but  he  was  never  known  to  be  cruel  or  re- 
^  vengeful  to  those  who  were  helpless  in  his  power. 

Tecumseh  never  allowed  his  portrait  to  be  painted. 
He  "  was  near  six  feet  in  stature,  with  a  compact, 
•muscular  frame,  capable  of  great  physical  endurance. 
His  head  was  of  a  moderate  size,  with  a  forehead 
full  and  high,  his  nose  slightly  aquiline,  teeth  large 
and  regular,  eyes  black,  penetrating,  and  overhung 
with  heavy  arched  brows,  which  increased  the  uni 
formly  grave  and  severe  expression  of  his  counte 
nance.  He  is  represented  by  those  who  knew  him 
to  have  been  a  remarkably  fine-looking  man,  always 
plain  but  neat  in  his  dress,  and  of  a  commanding 
personal  presence." 

An  English  writer  on  the  war  of  1812  says  that 


CHARACTER  OF  TECUMSEH.        155 

Tecumseh  was  endowed  "  with  more  than  the  usual 
stoutness,  and  possessed  all  the  agility  and  perseve 
rance  of  the  Indian  character.  His  carriage  was  dig 
nified,  his  eyes  penetrating,  his  countenance,  even  in 
death,  giving  indications  of  a  lofty  spirit.  The  In 
dians  in  general  are  full  as  fond  as  other  savages  of 
the  gaudy  decoration  of  their  persons,  but  Tecumseh 
was  an  exception.  Clothes  and  other  valuable  arti 
cles  of  spoil  had  often  been  his,  yet  he  invariably 
wore  a  deer-skin  coat  and  pantaloons.  He  had  fre 
quently  levied  subsidies  to  comparatively  a  large 
amount,  yet  he  preserved  little  or  nothing  for  him 
self.  It  was  not  wealth  but  glory  that  was  Tecum- 
seh's  ruling  passion." 

There  are  two  stories  with  regard  to  the  marriage 
of  Tecumseh,  one  being  that  he  was  married  to  sev 
eral  wives,  but  never  to  more  than  one  at  a  time ; 
while  the  other  is  that  he  had  but  one  wife.  The 
latter  is  probably  the  truth,  for  it  is  on  the  testimony 
of  men  who  knew  him  all  his  life.  His  marriage 
took  place  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight,  and  was  in 
compliance  with  the  wishes  of  his  friends.  His  wife, 
Mamate,  was  older  than  himself,  and  seems  to  have 
been  a  mediocre  person,  both  physically  and  mentally. 
Tecumseh's  only  child  was  a  son  named  Pugesha- 
shenwa,  which  means  "  A-panther- seizing-its-prey." 
Mamate  died  soon  after  his  birth,  and  he  was  lett  to 


TECUMSEH. 


the  care  of  his  aunt,  Tecumseh's  beloved  sister,  Te- 
cumapease. 

An  intelligent  Shawnee  who  knew  Tecumseh  from 
childhood  states  that  "  he  was  kind  and  attentive  to 
the  aged  and  infirm,  looking  personally  to  their  com 
fort,  repairing  their  frail  wigwams  when  winter  ap 
proached,  giving  them  skins  for  moccasins  and  cloth 
ing,  and  sharing  with  them  the  choicest  game  which 
the  woods  and  the  seasons  afforded.  Nor  were  these 
acts  of  kindness  bestowed  exclusively  on  those  of 
rank  or  reputation.  On  the  contrary,  he  made  it  his 
business  to  search  out  the  humblest  objects  of  charity 
and  in  a  quiet,  unostentatious  manner  relieve  their 
wants." 

"  From  the  earliest  period  of  his  life,"  says  one  of 
the  Indian  agents  who  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
him,  "  Tecumseh  was  distinguished  for  virtue,  for  a 
strict  adherence^  tnrth,Jiojipj^n^integrity.  He 
was  so,ber  and  abstemious,  never  indulging  in  the 
use  of  liquor  or  eating  to  excess." 

A  man  who  lived  nearly  twenty  years  among  the 
Indians  as  a  prisoner,  part  of  the  time  in  Tecumseh's 
family,  says,  "  I  know  of  no  peculiarity  about  him 
that  gained  him  popularity.  His  talents,  rectitude 
of  deportment,  and  friendly  disposition  con-manded 
the  respect  and  regard  of  all  about  him.  In  short,  I 
consider  him  a  very  great  as  well  a  very  good  man, 


CHARACTER  OF  TECUMSEH.  157 

who,  had  he  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a  liberal 
education,  would  have  done  honor  to  any  age  or 
nation." 

Benjamin  Drake,  in  his  life  of  Tecumseh,  says: 
"When  Burns,  the  poet,  was  suddenly  transferred 
from  his  plow,  in  Ayrshire,  to  the  polished  circles  of 
Edinburgh,  his  ease  of  manners  and  nice  observance 
of  the  rules  of  good  breeding  excited  much  surprise 
and  became  the  theme  of  frequent  conversation. 
The  same  thing  has  been  remarked  of  Tecumseh. 
Whether  seated  at  the  tables  of  Generals  McArthur 
and  Worthington,  as  he  was  during  the  council  at 
Chillicothe  in  1807,  or  brought  in  contact  with 
British  officers  of  the  highest  rank,  his  manners  were 
entirely  free  from  vulgarity  and  coarseness ;  he  was 
uniformly  self-possessed  and  with  the  tact  and  ease  of 
deportment  which  marked  the  poet  of  the  heart,  and 
which  are  falsely  supposed  to  be  the  result  of  civili 
zation  and  refinement  only.  He  readily  accommo 
dated  himself  to  the  novelties  of  his  new  position, 
and  seemed  more  amused  than  annoyed  by  them." 

We  can  never  know  just  when  Tecumseh  formed 
his  scheme  for  a  union  of  the  red  men,  to  offset- 
the  union  of  the  "  Seventeen  Fires  "  of  the  whites ; 
but  the  plan  now  began  to  reveal  itself  to  the  gov» 
crnment  in  various  ways.  Operations  so  extensive  as 
his  could  not  long  be  entirely  hidden.  He  had  been 


1$8  TECUMSEH. 

for  some  time  engaged  in  visiting  various  tribes  and 
trying  by  the  power  of  his  masterful  oratory  to  in 
duce  them  to  join  his  confederacy.  For  at  least 
three  or  four  years  he  traveled  almost  ceaselessly  for 
the  accomplishment  of  his  purpose.  He  was  at  one 
time  away  up  among  the  lakes  in  the  remotest  part 
of  the  old  Indiana  Territory ;  at  another  time  he  was 
moving  through  the  South ;  and  at  still  another  he 
was  in  that  then  almost  unknown  world  lying  beyond 
the  Mississippi.  What  history  we  have  of  these 
travels  of  Tecumseh  is  in  the  merest  scraps,  such  as 
came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  whites  from  time  to 
time.  Tirelessly  he  journeyed  through  the  wilder 
ness,  eloquently  he  labored  with  his  red  brethren, 
returning  often  to  his  headquarters,  where  the  Pro- 
phet  reigned  in  his  absence. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

FORMATION  OF  TECUMSEH'S  CONFEDERACY. 

UNTIL  1810,  Tecumseh  seemed  to  be  quietly 
strengthening  his  influence  among  the  tribes  with 
out  distinctly  announcing  his  ultimate  purpose. 

Early  in  the  year  1809,  accompanied  by  Captain 
Lewis,  a  well-known  Shawnee  chief,  he  attended  a 
council  of  Indians  held  at  SandUisky.  Here  he  tried 
to  persuade  the  Wyandots  ^rndLSenecas  to  remove  to 
his  settlgsremrat^ippecanoe.  Among  other  induce 
ments,  he  said  thafthe  country  on  this  river  was 
better  than  what  they  now  occupied,  that  it  was  fur 
ther  removed  from  the  whites,  and  that  they  would 
have  more  game  and  be  happier  there.  The  wary 
Indians,  however,  had  a  suspicion  that  Tecumseh 
meant  something  more  than  he  said,  and  their  ex 
perience  in  Wayjie's  campaign  had  given  them  a 
wholesome  fear  of  rashly  offending  the  United 
States.  The  Crane,  an  old  chief  of  the  Wyandots, 
answered,  "that  he  feared  Tecumseh  was  working 
for  no  good  purpose  at  Tippecanoe ;  that  they  would 
wait  a  few  years,  and  then  if  they  found  their  red 


160  TECUMSEH. 

brethren  at  that  time  contented  and  happy,  they 
would  probably  join  them." 

In  April,  1809,  the  United  States  agent  at  Fort 
Wayne  informed  Governor  Harrison  that,  according 
to  reports,  the  Indians  had  been  required  by  the 
Prophet  to  take  up  arms  against  the  government,  to 
exterminate  the  inhabitants  of  Vincennes  and  of  the 
\  settlements  along  the  Ohio ;  this  being  the  order  of 
the  Great  Spirit,  who  threatened  destruction  to  those 
who  disobeyed.  It  was  also  reported  that  the  Chip- 
pewas,  Pottawatomies,  and  Ottawas  were  deserting 
the  Prophet  in  consequence  of  this  order.  Whether 
this  was  true  or  not,  and  whether  in  any  case  it  was 
Tecumseh's  plan,  or  only  an  ambitious  undertaking 
s  of  the  Prophet's  in  Tecumseh's  absence,  is  not  known. 
The  agent  said  that  there  were  not  more  than  a  hun 
dred  warriors  remaining  with  the  Prophet ;  but  the 
Governor  had  information  that  there  were  within 
fifty  miles  of  his  headquarters  four  or  five  times  that 
number  who  were  his  devoted  followers.  Harrison 
immediately  organized  two  companies  of  volunteer 
militia  with  which  he  garrisoned  Fort  Knox,  which 
was  situated  within  two  miles  of  Vincennes.  If 
there  had  been  any  warlike  purpose  on  the  part  of 
the  Prophet,  this  show  of  force  put  a  stop  to  it,  for 
Indians  do  not  often  strike  an  enemy  who  stands  on 
guard. 


FORMATION  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY.         l6l 

In  July,  the  Prophet  and  about  forty  followers  vis 
ited  Vincennes,  at  that  time  the  capital  of  the  terri 
tory  and  the  residence  of  the  governor.  He  meekly 
denied  any  part  in  the  combination  to  attack  the 
white  settlements.  He  claimed,  indeed,  that  the  plot 
was  entirely  confined  to  the  tribes  of  the  Mississippi 
and  Illinois  Rivers,  and  that  he  had  dissuaded  them 
from  their  intended  hostilities. 

Governor  Harrison  was  not  to  be  so  easily  de 
ceived  again  by  the  Prophet's  plausibility,  for  he 
writes  to  the  Secretary  of  War :  "  I  must  confess 
that  my  suspicions  of  his  guilt  have  been  rather 
strengthened  than  diminished  at  every  interview  I 
have  had  with  him  since  his  arrival.  He  acknowl 
edges  that  he  received  an  invitation  to  war  against 
us  from  the  British,  last  fall,  and  that  he  was  apprised 
of  the  intention  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  &c.,  early  in 
the  spring,  and  was  warmly  solicited  to  join  their 
league.  But  he  could  give  no  satisfactory  explana 
tion  of  his  neglecting  to  communicate  to  me  circum 
stances  so  extremely  interesting  to  us,  and  towards 
which  I  had  a  few  months  before  directed  his  atten 
tion,  and  received  a  solemn  assurance  of  his  cheerful 
compliance  with  the  injunctions  I  had  impressed 
upon  him.  The  result  of  all  my  inquiries  on  the  sub 
ject  is  that  the  late  combination  was  proauced  by 
Britisji  intrigue  and  influence,  in  anticipation  of  war 


1  62  TECUMSEH 


with  the  Unifetf  States.  It  wis,  however,  prema 
ture  and  ill-judged.  .  .  .  The  warlike  and  well- 
armed  tribes  of  the  Pottawatomies,  Ottawas,  Chippe- 
was,  Delawares,  and  Miamis,  I  believe,  neither  had 
nor  would  have  joined  in  the  combination  ;  and  al 
though  the  Kickapoos,  whose  warriors  are  better 
than  those  of  any  other  tribe,  the  remnant  of  the 
Wyandots  excepted,  are  much  under  the  influence 
of  the  Prophet,  I  am  persuaded  that  they  were 
never  made  acquainted  with  his  intentions,  if  they 
were  really  hostile  toward  the  United  States." 

In  1809,  at  a  council  at  Greenville,  Governor 
Harrison  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  lying  on  the 
east  of  the  Wabash  River  from  the  Indian  owners  — 
the  Miami,  Eel  River,  Delaware,  and  Pottawatomie 
tribes.  He  also  made  a.  treaty  with  the  Kickapoos, 
who  confirmed  the  grant  and  sold  another  large  piece 
of  land.  When  he  made  these  treaties,  Governor 
Harrison  invited  all  Indians  to  be  present  who  were 
considered  to  have  any  claim  to  the  land. 

By  April,  1810,  there  was  a  general  conviction  on 
the  part  of  the  whites  that  the  plans  of  Tecumseh 
and  the  Prophet  were  really  hostile  to  the  United 
States.  A  trader  who  had  been  for  some  time  at 
Tippecanoe  informed  Governor  Harrison  that  there 
were  at  least  one  thousand  souls,  perhaps  four  hun 
dred  men,  in  that  place  under  the  control  of  the 


FORMATION  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY.          1 63 

Prophet.  It  was  plain  that  there  was  strong  hostile 
feeling  toward  the  government  among  these  Indians. 
They  refused  to  buy  any  ammunition  from  American* — - 
traders,  saying  that  they  had  a  plentiful  supply,  and 
intimated  that  they  could  get  more  from  the  English 
without  paying  for  it 

About  the  middle  of  May,  the  governor  was  in 
formed  that  the  Prophet's  followers  amounted  to  six 
or  eight  hundred  men,  and  that  it  was  probable  that 
this  force  could  be  doubled  from  those  tribes  over 
which  the  Prophet  had  influence.  All  this  led  to 
much  fear  for  the  safety  of  the  small,  exposed  settle 
ments  in  Indiana. 

A  large  meeting  of  Indians  was  held  at  this  time 
on  the  St.  Joseph's  River.  To  this  meeting  Gover 
nor  Harrison  sent  an  appeal  through  the  Delawares, 
pointing  out  the  inevitable  destruction  of  those  tribes 
who  should  take  up  the  hatchet  against  their  fathers, 
and  the  great  danger  to  the  friendly  tribes  through 
the  difficulty  of  distinguishing  friend  from  foe. 

The  Prophet  now  succeeded  in  gaining  the  Wyan- 
dots  over  to  his  side.  This  nation  had  always  pos 
sessed  great  influence  among  the  Indians,  the  mem 
bers  of  it  being  called  "  uncles,"  and  venerated  for 
their  talents  and  valor.  The  great  belt,  which  had 
been  the  symbol  of  union  between  the  tribes  in  their 
previous  war,  was  committed  to  the  care  of  this  tribe. 


I(U  TECUMSEH. 

They  also  possessed  the  original  copy  of  the  treaty  of 
Greenville.  The  negotiations  between  this  tribe  and 
the  Prophet  are  a  good  example  of  Indian  diplomacy. 
The  Prophet  sent  a  deputation  to  them  saying  that 
he  was  surprised  that  the  Wyandots,  who  had  always 
directed  the  councils  of  the  Indians,  in  consequence  of 
their  talents  and  bravery,  should  sit  still  and  see  the 
property  of  the  Indians  usurped  by  a  part. 

Flattered  by  this  message,  the  Wyandots  answered 
that  they  had  carefully  preserved  the  belt  which  for 
merly  united  the  Indians  as  one  nation.  This  belt, 
they  said,  had  remained  so  long  in  their  possession 
without  being  called  for,  that  they  supposed  it  was 
forgotten.  They  assured  the  Prophet  that  they  were 
glad,  however,  that  at  last  it  was  wanted.  As  for 
themselves,  they  were  tired  of  the  situation  ;  nothing 
was  nearer  their  hearts  than  the  union  of  the  tribes 
af ain  as  one  man.  They  looked  upon  everything 
that  had  been  done  since  the  treaty  of  Greenville  as 
nothing ;  that  they  would  join  with  the  Prophet  in 
endeavoring  to  bring  together  all  the  tribes  for  "-he 
purpose  of  stopping  the  encroachments  of  the  white 
people,  and  recovering  that  which  had  been  unjustly 
taken  from  them. 

This  answer  was  exactly  according  to  the  wishes 
of  the  Prophet.  He  immediately  circulated  it  among 
all  the  Indian  nations,  and  it  proved  a  powerful  in- 


FORMATION   OF  THE   CONFEDERACY.          165 

fluence  in  favor  of  Tecumseh's  scheme.  The  Wyan- 
dots  soon  started  to  make  a  visit  to  Tippecanoe.  On 
their  way  they  held  a  conference  with  the  Miami 
chiefs.  They  showed  the  great  belt,  and  reproached 
the  Miamis  with  having  united  with  the  whites 
against  their  Indian  friends.  The  Miamis  were  so 
intimidated  that  they  joined  the  Wyandots  on  their 
journey  to  the  Prophet's  Town,  inviting  the  Weas  to 
go  with  them. 

An  old  Piankishaw  Indian  named  Grosble,  who 
was  very  much  attached  to  Governor  Harrison  and 
to  the  United  States,  asked  at  this  time  permission 
to  move  beyond  the  Mississippi,  saying  that  he  had 
heard  nothing  but  rumors  of  war  among  the  Indians, 
and  as  he  would  not  engage  in  it  he  wished  to  be  out 
of  danger.  He  told  the  governor  that  which  he 
heard  from  other  sources— that  the  Prophet  intended 
to  attack  Vincennes,  and  boasted  that  he  would  follow 
the  footsteps  of  the  great  Pontiac. 

The  governor  had  stationed  a  person  as  spy  at  the 
Prophet's  Town,  by  whom  he  was  now  informed  that 
there  were  about  three  thousand  men  within  thirty 
miles  of  this  place,  who  carried  on  a  great  deal  of 
secret  counseling,  and  who  were  at  least  resolved  to 
prevent  the  survey  of  an/  land  west  of  the  Wabash 
River. 

In  June,  a  boat  was  sent  up  the  Wabash  with  salt 


1 66  TECUMSEH. 

for  the  Indians,  as  part  of  their  annuities.  The  Pro 
phet  refused  to  receive  the  salt,  and  the  men  who 
brought  it  were  treated  rudely  and  told  to  go  back 
to  Vincennes. 

About  the  time  when  the  salt  was  refused,  the  in 
defatigable  Tecumseh  was  among  the  Shawnees  on 
the  Auglaize ;  but  the  new  leader  was  without  hon 
or  among  his  own  people.  He  tried  in  vain  to  in 
duce  them  to  join  his  scheme,  but  they  even  refused 
to  go  into  council  with  him.  The  Shawnee  chiefs  on 
the  Auglaize  had  received  a  letter  from  Governor 
Harrison  some  months  previous  to  Tecumseh's  arri 
val,  which  no  doubt  had  something  to  do  with  their 
peaceful  disposition.  This  letter  Tecumseh  took  from 
from  the  hand  of  the  interpreter  and  scornfully 
threw  it  into  the  fire,  declaring  that  if  Governor 
Harrison  were  present  he  would  serve  him  in  the 
same  way. 

He  told  the  Indians  that  the  white  people  were 
deceiving  them ;  that  for  his  part  he  would  never 
put  any  confidence  in  the  whites.  He  said  that  if 
he  were  dead  the  cause  would  not  die  with  him.  But 
ho  went  away  much  dissatisfied  with  his  ill  success 
among  the  Shawnees. 

Tecumseh  owed  his  failure  with  this  tribe  in  great 
part,  no  doubt,  to  the  influence  of  the  great  Shiwi.ee 
chief,  Black  Hoo£  This  Indian  had  been  bcfA  in 


FORMATION  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY. 

Florida,  and  was  old  enough  at  the  time  of  the  re 
moval  of  his  nation  to  Ohio  to  remember  bathing  in 
the  salt  water  of  the  ocean.  He  had  been  present  at 
the  defeat  of  Braddock,  in  1755,  during  the  French  and 
English  war,  and  had  been  very  actively  engaged  in 
all  the  wars  in  Ohio  until  Wayne's  treaty  with  the  In 
dians.  It  is  said  that  his  wisdom  and  energy  in  the 
planning  and  executing  of  his  military  expeditions 
was  so  great  that  he  was  never  at  a  loss  for  braves  to 
fight  under  his  lead. 

Black  Hoof  had  been  the  orator  of  his  tribe  dur 
ing  most  of  his  life,  and  had  fought  bravely  in  the 
vain  hope  of  staying  the  tide  of  white  emigration  to 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  But  after  the  disastrous 
defeat  of  the  Indians  by  Wayne,  the  old  chief,  grown 
wise  by  the  experience  of  years,  became  convinced 
of  the  futility  of  all  attempts  to  drive  back  the  whites. 
He  signed  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  and  from  that 
time  actively  opposed  all  war  with  the  settlers.  As 
he  was  the  head  chief  of  the  Shawnee  nation,  the 
influence  of  his  office  and  of  his  personal  character 
gave  him  a  great  ascendency  in  the  councils  of  his 
people. 

Every  persuasion  was  brought  to  bear  by  Tecum- 
seh  on  Black  Hoof  to  induce  him  to  join  his  scheme, 
but  all  failed ;  the  chief  and  the  greater  part  of  his 
tribe  remained  faithful  to  the  treaty  of  Greenville. 


1 68  TECUMSEH. 

In  the  war  which  succeeded  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain,  he  was  firmly  attached  to 
the  American  cause,  although  he  took  no  active  part 
in  the  conflict 

Like  Tecumseh,  this  great  chief  was  opposed  to 
polygamy  and  the  burning  of  prisoners.  He  is  said 
to  have  lived  for  forty  years  with  one  wife,  and  to 
have  raised  a  large  family  of  children,  who  loved  and 
respected  him.  He  was  of  a  cheerful  disposition 
and  sprightly  in  conversation.  Black  Hoof  was 
rather  small,  being  about  five  feet  eight  inches  in 
height.  He  died  at  Wapakonetta,  Ohio,  in  1831,  at 
the  age  of  one  hundred  and  ten.  Up  to  the  time  of 
his  death  his  health  was  good  and  his  eyesight  un- 
dimmed. 

Governor  Harrison  was  visited  in  June  by  a  depu 
tation  of  Pottawatomie  Indians,  headed  by  the  chief 
Winnemac,  to  inform  him  of  the  result  of  the  council 
held  at  the  St.  Joseph's  of  Lake  Michigan.  It  had 
been  attended  by  all  the  neighboring  Indians,  and  by 
the  Delawares,  who  were  to  have  gone  there  for  the 
purpose  of  dissuading  the  Indians  from  joining  the 
Prophet.  This  they  succeeded  in  doing,  and  Win 
nemac  was  sent  to  inform  the  governor  of  all  they 
knew  of  the  Prophet's  plans,  which  was  that  every 
exertion  was  10  be  made  on  the  part  of  the  Prophet's 
party  to  induce  the  trans- Mississippi  tribes  to  join 


FORMATION  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY.    169 

the  confederacy;  and  that  Detroit,  Fort  Wayne, 
Chicago,  St  Louis,  and  Vincennes  were  all  to  be  sur 
prised.  It  was  reported  that  the  Prophet  had  even 
suggested  to  his  young  men  the  murder  of  some  of 
the  neighboring  chiefs  in  order  that  their  own  hands 
might  be  free  to  carry  forward  their  purposes, 

* 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

EXECUTION   OF   LEATHERLIPS  FOR  WITCH 
CRAFT. 

ON  the  evening  of  the  first  day  of  June,  six  Wy- 
andots,  equipped  in  the  most  warlike  manner,  ap 
peared  at  the  house  of  a  white  man  on  the  Scioto, 
near  where  the  city  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  now  stands. 
They  were  much  agitated,  and  inquired  after  an  old 
Wyandot  chief  named  Leatherlips,  whom  they  had 
been  seeking.  When  they  found  that  he  was  en 
camped  two  miles  further  up  the  river,  they  immedi 
ately  started  off,  saying  they  intended  to  kill  him. 

A  Mr.  John  Sells  was  told  of  the  visit  of  the  In 
dians  the  next  morning,  and  started  off  for  Leather- 
lips'  camp.  He  came  upon  the  six  warriors,  who 
were  headed,  it  is  believed,  by  the  chief  Roundhead, 
seated  in  council  in  a  grove  of  sugar  maples  a  shor' 
distance  from  Leatherlips'  lodge.  The  old  chief, 
with  his  arms  tied  with  a  slight  cord,  sat  calmly  ir 
their  midst.  A  few  white  neighbors  were  also  pre  • 
sent,  and  a  sullen  and  gloomy  Indian,  who  had 
been  Leatheriips'  companion,  sat  apart  in  the  camp. 
Going  up  to  the  Indians,  Mr.  Sells  found  them  ir 


EXECUTION   OF  LEATHERLIPS.  1/1 

earnest  debate.  They  were  trying  the  white-haired 
Leatherlips  for  witchcraft.  With  this  he  had  been 
previously  charged  by  some  of  the  Indians  present, 
who  believed  they  had  lost  some  of  their  friends 
through  his  evil  powers. 

For  two  or  three  hours  the  council  lasted.  The 
accusers  spoke  with  much  ceremony,  but  evidently 
very  bitterly.  The  prisoner  answered  eloquently, 
but  without  passion,  occasionally  smiling  disdainfully. 
The  council  was  closed  with  a  sentence  of  death. 
Some  of  the  white  men  inquired  as  to  the  time  of  the 
execution.  The  captain  of  the  accusers  pointed  to 
the  sun,  indicating  one  o'clock.  Mr.  Sells  asked  him 
what  Leatherlips  had  done. 

"  Very  bad  Indian,"  answered  he ;  "  make  good 
Indian  sick ;  make  horse  sick ;  make  die ;  very  bad 
chief."  Mr.  Sells  tried  to  induce  the  white  men  to 
interfere  for  the  safety  of  the  chief,  but  they  refused, 
fearing  the  results  of  Indian  animosity  on  their  un 
protected  settlements.  He  then  tried  to  purchase 
the  life  of  Leatherlips  with  a  very  fine  horse,  worth 
three  hundred  dollars.  This  staggered  the  Indians 
at  first,  but  after  a  long  council  their  fanatical  zeal 
triumphed,  and  the  offer  was  refused. 

After  the  close  of  the  council,  five  of  the  Indians 
amused  themselves  with  athletic  sports,  such  as  run 
ning,  jumping,  etc.  In  these,  Roundhead  took  no 


172  TECUMSEH. 

part.  He  now  indicated  the  hour  of  four  as  the  time 
of  execution.  Leatherlips  then  walked  slowly  to 
his  camp,  ate  a  dinner  of  jerked  venison,  washed  and 
dressed  himself  in  his  best  apparel,  which  was  very 
rich,  and  finally  painted  his  face.  His  graceful  fig. 
ure  and  gray  hair  gave  him  a  very  impressive  look. 
He  requested  that  the  company  should  draw  around 
him  at  the  lodge.  He  had  noticed  that  Mr.  Sells 
had  exerted  himself  for  him,  and  now  handed  him  a 
paper,  which  was  a  recommendation  from  Governor 
Hull.  This  paper  was  read  to  the  company  and 
then  fixed  to  a  tree  at  the  prisoner's  desire.  He 
shook  hands  silently  with  the  whole  company,  but 
on  coming  to  Mr.  Sells  he  grasped  his  hand  warmly, 
spoke  a  few  words  in  the  Wyandot  tongue,  and 
pointed  to  the  sky.  He  then  turned,  and,  in  a  voice 
of  wonderful  strength  and  melody,  began  chanting 
his  death-song.  He  was  followed  by  the  six  warriors, 
keeping  time  to  the  wild  melancholy  dirge  with  their 
slow  steps.  The  white  men  also  silently  fell  into  this 
procession.  At  about  eighty  yards  from  the  camp 
they  came  upon  a  shallow  grave.  Here  the  vener 
able  Leatherlips  kneeled  down  and  solemnly  prayed 
to  the  Great  Spirit.  This  was  followed  by  a  prayer 
from  the  leader.  Mr.  Sells  now  told  him  that  if  he 
did  this  deed  he  ought  at  least  to  go  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  white  settlements. 


EXECUTION  OF  LEATHERLIPS.  173 

"  No  !  "  he  answered  sternly  and  with  much  dis 
pleasure  ;  "  no !  good  Indian  'fraid  ;  he  no  go  with 
this  bad  man ;  mouth  give  fire  in  the  dark  night ;' 
good  Indian  'fraid ;  he  no  go." 

Mr.  Sells  reluctantly  gave  up  the  old  man's  cause. 
Up  to  this  time  there  was  no  weapon  visibb. 
Leatherlips  again  sank  on  his  knees  and  prayed  £^» 
before.  In  this  position  he  remained,  after  he  had 
finished  praying,  until  the  fatal  blow  was  struck,  with 
a  tomahawk  suddenly  drawn  from  beneath  the  blan 
ket  of  the  leader. 

Leatherlips,  in  all  his  rich  clothing  and  decorations, 
was  then  buried,  and  the  executioners  returned  as 
they  had  come. 

This  execution  is  believed  to  have  taken  place 
by  order  of  the  Prophet.  It  is  thought  that  the 
six  Wyandots  came  immediately  from  Tippecanoe  to 
the  banks  of  the  Scioto.  Whether  or  not  motives 
of  policy  dictated  the  charge  of  witchcraft  against 
Leatherlips,  we  do  not  know.  It  is  quite  possible 
that  the  hostile  chiefs  now  found  it  needful  to  strike 
with  terror  all  those  leaders  who  held  aloof  from  their 
movement 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

MEETING  OF  HARRISON  AND  TECUMSEH  AT 

VINCENNES. 

IN  the  month  of  June,  1810,  Governor  Harrison 
sent  two  confidential  agents  to  Tippecanoe  to  discover 
more  fully  if  possible  the  designs  of  the  Prophet. 
One  of  these  agents,  a  Mr.  Dubois,  was  received 
kindly.  He  told  the  Prophet  that  Governor  Harrison 
had  sent  him  to  find  out  what  was  the  reason  of  his 
warlike  preparations  and  his  enmity  against  the 
United  States.  He  told  the  Prophet  that  his  move 
ments  had  so  alarmed  the  white  people  that  warriors 
in  Kentucky  and  Indiana  were  arming  themselves, 
but  that  the  Governor  wished  him  to  say  that  this 
was  only  for  defence,  and  that  no  attempt  should  be 
made  against  him  until  there  was  no  more  doubt  of 
his  intentions.  The  Prophet  said  that  he  did  not  in 
tend  to  make  war,  that  he  had  been  unjustly  accused, 
and  that  he  was  fixed  in  that  place  by  the  express 
commands  of  the  Great  Spirit.  The  agent  urged 
him  to  state  his  complaints  against  the  government 
The  Prophet  replied  that  the  Indians  had  been 
cheated  of  their  lands ;  that  a  sale  to  be  valid  must  be 


MEETING  AT  VINCENNES.  1/5 

sanctioned  by  all  the  tribes.  Mr.  Dubois  told  him 
that  he  ought  to  go  to  Vincennes  and  present  his 
complaints  to  the  governor. 

The  Prophet  declined  doing  this,  saying  that  he 
had  been  badly  treated  on  his  former  visit.  Mr. 
Dubois  also  visited  the  Wea  and  Eel  River  tribes. 
They  were  fearful  that  war  would  break  out,  and  that 
they  would  be  involved  in  it. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  four  canoes  filled  with  some 
of  the  Prophet's  followers  descended  the  Wabash. 
One  of  these  canoes,  containing  some  Kickapoos, 
came  down  as  low  as  a  settlement  above  Vincennes, 
where  they  stopped  and  attended  a  Shaker  meeting 
on  Sunday.  After  this  act  of  piety  they  wound  up 
their  Sabbath  by  stealing  five  horses  in  the  night. 

A  few  days  later,  a  party  of  Indians  who  had  been 
visiting  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  on  the  Mississippi, 
told  Governor  Harrison  that  these  tribes  had  taken  up 
the  hatchet  and  said  they  were  ready  to  act  with  the 
Prophet  whenever  he  should  desire.  It  was  also  said 
that  a  Miami  chief,  who  had  been  on  his  annual  visit 
to  the  English  post  at  Maiden,  after  receiving  his 
supplies,  was  addressed  thus  by  the  English  agent  :— 

"My  son,  keep  your  eyes  fixed  on  me.  My 
tomahawk  is  now  up;  be  you  ready,  but  do  not 
strike  till  I  give  the  signal." 

Governor  Harrison  sent  a  confidential  agent,  Mr 


176  TECUMSEH. 

Baron,  with  a  letter  to  Tippecanoe.  When  this  meS' 
senger  reached  the  Prophet's  Town  he  was  received 
in  very  dramatic  fashion.  He  was  first  conducted 
ceremoniously  to  the  place  where  the  Prophet,  sur 
rounded  by  a  number  of  Indians,  was  seated.  Here 
he  was  left  standing  at  the  distance  of  about  ten  feet 
from  the  Indian  prophet.  "  He  looked  at  me,"  said 
Mr.  Baron,  "  for  several  minutes,  without  speaking 
or  making  any  sign  of  recognition,  although  he  knew 
me  well.  At  last  he  spoke,  apparently  in  anger. 
'For  what  purpose  do  you  come  here?'  said  he. 
'Brouilette  was  here;  he  was  a  spy.  Dubois  was 
here ;  he  was  a  spy.  Now  you  have  come.  You 
too  are  a  spy.  There  is  your  grave  !  look  on  it  1 ' 
The  Prophet  then  pointed  to  the  ground  near  the 
spot  where  I  stood." 

Tecumseh,  who  seems  to  have  been  accustomed 
to  check  his  brother's  fondness  for  stage  acting,  now 
came  out  of  one  of  the  lodges,  greeted  Mr.  Baron 
coldly,  told  him  that  his  life  was  in  no  danger,  and 
asked  him  to  state  the  object  of  his  visit.  Mr.  Baron 
then  read  the  following  letter : — 

"  William  Henry  Harrison,  Governor  and  Com 
mander-in-chief  of  the  Territory  of  Indiana,  to  the 
Shawnee  chief  and  the  Indians  assembled  at  Tippeca 
noe  :  Notwithstanding  the  improper  language  which 
you  have  used  towards  me,  I  will  endeavor  to  open 


MEETING  AT  VINCENNES.  177 

your  eyes  to  your  true  interests.  Notwithstanding 
what  white  men  have  told  you,  I  am  not  your  per 
sonal  enemy.  You  ought  to  know  this  from  the 
manner  in  which  I  received  and  treated  you  on  your 
visit  to  this  place. 

"  Although  I  must  say  that  you  are  an  enemy  to 
the  Seventeen  Fires,  and  that  you  have  used  the 
greatest  exertions  to  lead  them  [the  Indians]  astray. 
In  this  you  have  been  in  some  measure  successful ; 
as  I  am  told,  they  are  ready  to  raise  the  tomahawk 
against  their  father,  yet  their  father,  notwithstanding 
his  anger  at  their  folly,  is  full  of  goodness,  and  is 
always  ready  to  receive  into  his  arms  those  of  his 
children  who  are  willing  to  repent,  acknowledge 
their  fault,  and  ask  his  forgiveness. 

"  There  is  yet  but  little  harm  done,  which  may  be 
easily  repaired.  The  chain  of  friendship  which  united 
the  whites  with  the  Indians  may  be  renewed,  and  be 
as  strong  as  ever.  A  great  deal  of  that  work  de 
pends  on  you — the  destiny  of  those  who  are  under 
your  direction  depends  upon  the  choice  you  may 
make  of  the  two  roads  which  are  before  you.  The 
one  is  large,  open,  and  pleasant,  and  leads  to  peace, 
security,  and  happiness ;  the  other,  on  the  con 
trary,  is  narrow  and  crooked,  and  leads  to  misery 
and  ruin.  Don't  deceive  yourselves  ;  do  not  believe 

that  all  the  nations  of  Indians  united  are  able  to  re- 

8* 


!/8  TECUMSEH. 

sist  the  force  of  the  Seventeen  Fires  I  know  yom 
warriors  are  brave,  but  ours  are  not  less  so.  But 
what  can  a  few  brave  warriors  do  against  the  in 
numerable  warriors  of  the  Seventeen  Fires  ?  Our 
blue-coats  are  more  numerous  than  you  can  count; 
our  hunters  are  like  the  leaves  of  the  forest,  or  the 
grains  of  sand  on  the  Wabash.  Do  not  think  that 
the  red-coats  can  protect  you  ;  they  are  not  able 
to  protect  themselves.  They  do  not  think  of  going 
to  war  with  us.  If  they  did,  you  would  in  a  few 
moons  see  our  flag  wave  over  all  the  forts  of  Canada. 
What  reason  have  you  to  complain  of  the  Seventeen 
Fires  ?  Have  they  taken  anything  from  you  ?  Have 
they  ever  violated  the  treaties  made  with  the  red 
men  ?  You  say  they  have  purchased  lands  from 
those  who  had  no  right  to  sell  them.  Show  that  this 
is  true  and  the  land  will  be  instantly  restored.  Show 
us  the  rightful  owners.  I  have  full  power  to  arrange 
this  business  ;  but  if  you  would  rather  carry  your 
complaints  before  your  great  father,  the  President, 
you  shall  be  indulged.  I  will  immediately  take 
means  to  send  you,  with  those  chiefs  that  you  may 
choose,  to  the  city  where  your  father  lives.  Every 
thing  necessary  shall  be  prepared  for  your  journey, 
and  means  taken  for  your  safe  return." 

The  Prophet  made  no  answer  to  this  speech,  but 
promised  to  send  Tecumseh  to  visit  the  governor. 


MEETING  AT  VINCENNES.  179 

Mi  Baron  had  much  conversation  with  Tecumseh, 
however.  He  said  that  he  did  not  intend  to  make 
war,  but  he  solemnly  declared  that  it  was  impossible 
to  remain  friends  with  the  United  States  unless  they 
would  give  up  the  idea  of  making  settlements  further 
to  the  north  and  west,  and  would  acknowledge  the 
principle  that  the  Western  country  was  the  common 
property  of  all  Indian  tribes. 

"  The  Great  Spirit,"  said  Tecumseh,  "  gave  this 
great  island  to  his  red  children ;  he  placed  the  white** 
on  the  other  side  of  the  big  water.  They  were  not 
contented  with  their  own,  but  came  to  take  ours  from 
us.  They  have  driven  us  from  the  sea  to  the  lakes : 
w*»  ran  go  no  further.  They  have  taken  upon  them 
to  say  this  tract  belongs  to  the  Miamis,  this  the  Dels- 
wares,  and  so  on ;  but  the  Great  Spirit  intended  it  as 
the  common  property  of  all.  Our  father  tells  us 
that  we  have  no  business  upon  the  Wabash — the  land 
belongs  to  other  tribes  ;  but  the  Great  Spirit  ordered 
us  to  come  here,  and  here  we  will  stay." 

Tecumseh  said,  however,  that  he  was  much  pleased 
with  the  governor's  speech.  He  had  never  been  to 
see  him,  but  he  remembered  him  as  a  very  youn^ 
man  sitting  by  the  side  of  General  Wayne.  He  had 
never  troubled  the  white  people  much,  he  said,  but 
he  would  now  go  to  Vincennes  and  show  the  gov 
ernor  that  he  had  been  listening  to  bad  men,  when  he 


ISO  TECUMSEH. 

was  told  that  they  meditated  war  against  the  United 
States. 

From  Mr.  Baron's  report  we  gather  that  some  dis 
satisfaction  and  jealousy  had  arisen  in  the  Prophet's 
paradise  at  Tippecanoe,  probably  through  the  unwise 
over-boastfulness  of  the  seer  with  regard  to  his  divine 
power.  A  Pottawatomie  chief  told  Baron,  in  the 
Prophet's  presence,  that  he  had  promised  them  that 
there  should  be  no  more  deaths  at  his  town,  but  that 
three  Kickapoos  had  "been  buried  in  as  many  days. 
The  Prophet  did  not  understand  what  the  chief  said, 
and  asked  Baron  to  repeat  it.  When  he  heard  what 
it  was,  he  said  that  the  Pottawatomie  had  lied,  for  no 
one  had  died. 

"  I  will  not  say/'  the  chief  answered,  with  Indian 
sarcasm,  "  that  any  have  died,  but  I  know  that  you 
promised  that  none  should  die,  and  I  have  seen  three 
bodies  buried  within  three  days;  but  they  may  have 
been  dogs  or  persons  long  since  dead,  who  have  been 
taken  up  to  be  buried  over  again." 

Tecumseh  told  Mr.  Baron  that  he  would  probably 
bring  thirty  of  his  principal  men  to  Vincennes  with 
him,  and  as  the  young  men  were  fond  of  attending 
on  such  occasions,  there  would  probably  be  a  hun 
dred  in  all  The  Prophet  added  that  they  might  ex 
pect  to  see  a  great  many  more  than  that 

This  idea  did  not  please  the  governor,  and  he  sent 


MEETING  AT  VINCENNES.  1*1 

an  Indian  messenger  requesting  that  but  a  few  should 
attend  Tecumseh  on  his  visit. 

Tecumseh,  however,  descended  the  Wabash  on 
the  1 2th  of  August,  with  four  hundred  warriors, 
armed  with  their  tomahawks.  Captain  Floyd,  the 
commander  at  Fort  Knox,  describes  the  passing  of 
this  chief  in  a  letter,  thus: — 

"  Nothing  new  has  transpired  since  my  last  letter 
to  you  except  that  the  Shawnee  Indians  have  come  ; 
they  passed  this  garrison,  which  is  three  miles  above 
Vincennes,  on  Sunday  last,  in  eighty  canoes.  They 
were  all  painted  in  the  most  terrific  manner.  They 
were  stopped  at  the  garrison  by  me,  for  a  short  time. 
I  examined  their  canoes,  and  found  them  well  pre 
pared  for  war  in  case  of  an  attack.  They  were 
headed  by  the  brother  of  the  Prophet,  Tecumseh, 
who  perhaps  is  one  of  the  finest  looking  men  I  ever 
saw — about  six  feet  high,  straight,  with  large,  fine 
features,  and  altogether  a  daring,  bold  looking  fellow. 
The  governor's  council  with  them  will  commence  to 
morrow  morning." 

In  this  council,  Harrison  and  Tecumseh  each  dis 
trusted  the  other's  good  faith  at  first.  The  governor 
had  intended  that  it  should  be  held  on  the  portico 
of  his  own  house,  which  was  fitted  up  with  seats  for 
the  purpose.  Here  he  placed  himself,  attended  by 
the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  some  officers  of  the 


1 82  TECUMSEH. 

army,  a  sergeant  with  twelve  men  from  Fort  Knox, 
and  a  large  number  of  citizens.  At  the  time  ap 
pointed,  Tecumseh,  who  was  encamped  outside  of  the 
town,  appeared  with  forty  warriors.  He  approached 
within  thirty  or  forty  rods,  and  stopped.  Governor 
Harrison  sent  out  an  interpreter  to  request  him  and 
his  followers  to  take  seats  on  the  portico.  Tecumseh 
refused  to  do  this,  saying  he  did  not  think  it  a  proper 
place  to  hold  the  council,  and  that  he  preferred  a 
grove  of  trees  which  stood  a  short  distance  from  the 
house.  The  governor  answered  that  he  had  no  ob 
jection  to  the  grove,  but  that  there  were  no  seats 
there.  Tecumseh  replied  that  it  would  only  be  ne 
cessary  to  bring  out  chairs  enough  to  accommodate 
the  white  men,  saying,  "  The  earth  is  my  mother,  and 
on  her  bosom  will  I  repose." 

The  governor  yielded  the  point,  chairs  and  benches 
were  removed  to  the  grove,  but  the  Indians,  accord 
ing  to  their  habit,  sat  upon  the  grass. 

As  Tecumseh's  speech  on  this  occasion  is  very  re 
markable,  indicating  his  modes  of  thought,  we  give 
passages  from  it  as  follows  :— 

"  Brother :  I  wish  you  to  listen  to  me  well  As  I 
think  you  do  not  clearly  understand  what  I  before 
said  to  you,  I  will  explain  it  again.  .  .  . 

"  Brother,  since  the  peace  was  made,  you  have  killed 
some  of  the  Shawnees,  Winnebagoes,  Delawares,  and 


MEETING  AT  VINCENNES.  183 

Miamis,  and  you  have  taken  our  land  from  us,  and  I 
do  not  see  how  we  can  remain  at  peace  if  you  con 
tinue  to  do  so.  You  try  to  force  the  red  people  to 
do  some  injury.  It  is  you  that  are  pushing  them  on 
to  do  mischief.  You  endeavor  to  make  distinctions. 
You  wish  to  prevent  the  Indians  doing  as  we  wish 
them — to  unite,  and  let  them  consider  their  lands  as 
the  common  property  of  the  whole ;  you  take  tribes 
aside  and  advise  them  not  to  come  into  this  measure ; 
and  until  our  design  is  accomplished  we  do  not  wish 
to  accept  of  your  invitation  to  go  and  see  the  Presi 
dent.  The  reason  I  tell  you  this,  you  want,  by  your 
distinctions  of  Indian  tribes  in  allotting  to  each  a 
particular  tract  of  land,  to  make  them  to  war  with 
each  other.  You  never  see  an  Indian  come  and  en 
deavor  to  make  the  white  people  do  so.  You  are 
continually  driving  the  red  people;  when,  at  last, 
you  will  drive  them  into  the  Great  Lake,  where  they 
can't  either  stand  or  walk. 

"  Brother,  you  ought  to  know  what  you  are  doing 
with  the  Indians.  Perhaps  it  is  by  direction  of  the 
President  to  make  those  distinctions.  It  is  a  very 
bad  thing,  and  we  do  not  like  it.  Since  my  residence 
at  Tippecanoe  we  have  endeavored  to  level  all  dis 
tinctions — to  destroy  village  chiefs,  by  whom  all  mis 
chief  is  done.  It  is  they  who  sell  our  lands  to  the 
Americans.  Our  object  is  to  let  our  affairs  bf  r/,\ns- 
acted  by  warriors. 


1 84  TECUMSEH. 

"  Brother,  this  land  that  was  sold  and  the  goods 
that  were  given  for  it  were  only  done  by  a  few. 
The  treaty  was  afterwards  brought  here,  and  the 
Weas  were  induced  to  give  their  consent  because  of 
their  small  numbers.  The  treaty  at  Fort  Wayne 
was  made  through  the  threats  of  Winnemac ;  but  in 
future  we  are  prepared  to  punish  those  chiefs  who 
may  come  forward  to  propose  to  sell  the  land.  If 
you  continue  to  purchase  of  them  it  will  produce  war 
among  the  different  tribes,  and  at  last,  I  do  not  know 
what  will  be  the  consequence  to  the  white  people. 

"  Brother,  I  was  glad  to  hear  your  speech.  You  said 
that  if  we  could  show  that  the  land  was  sold  by  peo 
ple  that  had  no  right  to  sell,  you  would  restore  it 
Those  that  did  sell  did  not  own  it  It  was  me.  These 
tribes  set  up  a  claim,  but  the  tribes  with  me  will  not 
agree  with  their  claim.  If  the  land  is  not  restored 
to  us  you  will  see,  when  we  return  to  our  homes, 
how  it  will  be  settled.  We  shall  have  a  great  council, 
at  which  all  the  tribes  will  be  present,  when  we  shall 
show  to  those  who  sold  that  they  had  no  right  to  the 
claim  that  they  set  up ;  and  we  will  see  what  will  be 
done  to  those  chiefs  that  did  sell  the  land  to  you.  I 
am  not  alone  in  this  determination;  it  is  the  deter- 
mination  of  all  the  warriors  and  red  people  that  listen 
to  me.  I  now  wish  you  to  listen  to  me.  If  you  do 
not,  it  will  appear  as  if  you  wished  me  to  kill  all  the 


MEETING  AY  VINCENNES.  l8$ 

chiefs  that  sold  you  the  land.  I  tell  you  so  because 
I  am  authorized  by  all  the  tribes  to  do  so.  I  am 
the  head  of  them  all ;  I  am  a  warrior,  and  all  the 
warriors  will  meet  together  in  two  or  three  moons 
from  this ;  then  I  will  call  for  those  chiefs  that  sold 
you  the  land  and  shall  know  what  to  do  with  them. 
If  you  do  not  restore  the  land,  you  will  have  a  hand 
in  killing  them. 

"  Brother,  do  not  believe  that  I  came  here  to  get 
presents  from  you.  If  you  offer  us  any,  we  will  not 
take.  By  taking  goods  from  you,  you  will  hereafter 
say  that  with  them  you  purchased  another  piece  of 
land  from  us.  ...  It  has  been  the  object  of 
both  myself  and  brother  to  prevent  the  lands  being 
sold.  Should  you  not  return  the  land,  it  will  oc 
casion  us  to  call  a  great  council  that  will  meet  at  the 
Huron  village,  where  the  council-fire  has  already 
been  lighted,  at  which  those  who  sold  the  lands  shall 
be  called,  and  shall  suffer  for  their  conduct. 

"  Brother,  I  wish  you  would  take  pity  on  the  red 
people  and  do  what  I  have  requested.  If  you  will 
not  give  up  the  land  and  do  cross  the  boundary  of 
your  present  settlement,  it  will  be  very  hard,  and 
produce  great  troubles  among  us.  How  can  we  have 
confidence  in  the  white  people  ?  When  Jesus  Christ 
came  on  earth,  you  killed  him  and  nailed  him  on  a 
cross.  You  thought  he  was  dead,  but  you  were  mis- 


1 86  TECUMSEH. 

taken.  You  have  Shakers  among  you,  and  you 
laugh  and  make  light  of  their  worship.  Everything 
I  have  said  to  you  is  the  truth.  The  Great  Spirit 
has  inspired  me,  and  I  speak  nothing  but  the  truth 
to  you.  .  .  .  Brother,  I  hope  you  will  confess 
that  you  ought  not  to  have  listened  to  those  bad 
birds  who  bring  you  bad  news.  I  have  declared 
myself  freely  to  you,  and  if  any  explanation  should 
be  required  from  our  town,  send  a  man  who  can 
speak  to  us.  If  you  think  proper  to  give  us  any 
presents,  and  we  can  be  convinced  that  they  are 
given  through  friendship  alone,  we  will  accept  them. 
As  we  intend  to  hold  our  council  at  the  Huron  vil 
lage,  that  is  near  the  British,  we  may  probably  make 
them  a  visit.  Should  they  offer  us  any  presents  of 
goods,  we  will  not  take  them  ;  but  should  they  offer 
us  powder  and  the  tomahawk,  we  will  take  the 
powder  and  refuse  the  tomahawk.  I  wish  you, 
brother,  to  consider  everything  I  have  said  as  true, 
and  that  it  is  the  sentiment  of  all  the  red  people  that 
listen  to  me." 

All  this  was  not  calculated  to  promote  a  peaceful 
or  friendly  feeling  in  the  council.  Each  side  felt 
exceedingly  distrustful  of  the  other.  Tecumseh  had 
awakened  in  his  own  mind,  and  in  the  minds  of  his 
companions,  the  bitterest  feeling  of  injury  from  the 
United  States,  while  he  had  increased  the  suspicions 


MEETING  AT  VINCENNES.  1 87 

of  treachery  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants  cf  Vin- 
cennes  who  were  present. 

Governor  Harrison  now  arose  and  denied  that  the 
Indians  were  one  nation.  He  said  that  when  the 
white  people  had  come  to  America,  the  Miamis  oc 
cupied  all  the  country  on  the  Wabash,  and  the 
Shawnees  lived  in  Georgia,  from  which  place  they 
nad  been  driven  by  the  Creeks.  These  lands  had 
been  bought  from  the  Miamis,  who  were  the  owners. 
It  was  ridiculous  to  say  that  the  Indians  were  all  one 
nation.  If  the  Great  Spirit  had  meant  it  to  be  so,  he 
would  not  have  put  different  tongues  into  their  heads, 
but  would  have  taught  them  to  speak  a  language 
that  all  could  understand.  The  Miamis  thought  it  to 
their  interest  to  sell  part  of  their  land  for  a  further 
annuity,  the  benefit  of  which  they  had  for  a  long 
time  experienced  from  the  punctuality  with  which 
the  Seventeen  Fires  had  paid  them.  The  Shawnees 
had  no  right  to  come  from  a  distant  country  and 
control  the  Miamis  in  the  disposal  of  their  property. 
The  governor  sat  down,  to  allow  the  interpreter 
time  to  explain  this.  He  had  interpreted  it  to  the 
Shawnees,  and  had  begun  to  do  so  to  the  Pottawat 
omies,  vvhen  Tecumseh  rose  up  and  began  to  speak 
very  vehemently.  The  governor  was  surprised  at 
his  violent  gestures,  but  thinking  he  must  be  making 
some  explanation,  turned  his  attention  to  the  friendly 


1 88  TECUMSEH. 

chief,  Winnemac,  who  was  priming  his  pistol,  which 
he  kept  concealed  from  the  Indians,  but  which  was  in 
full  sight  of  the  governor.     Just  then  he  heard  Gen 
eral  Gibson,  who  understood  the  Shawnee  language, 
say  to  Lieutenant  Jennings, 

"Those  fellows  intend  mischief;  you  had  better 
bring  up  the  guard." 

The  governor  looked  at  the  Indians,  who  at  that 
moment  seized  their  arms  and  sprang  to  their  feet 
around  their  leader  with  their  eyes  upon  Harri 
son.  He  rose  immediately  from  his  arm-chair  and 
drew  a  small  sword  which  hung  at  his  side,  while 
Captain  Floyd  drew  a  dirk  and  Winnemac  cocked 
his  pistol.  The  unarmed  citizens,  of  whom  there 
were  quite  a  number  present,  laid  hold  of  clubs  and 
brickbats,  while  Mr.  Winans,  a  Methodist  minister, 
ran  to  the  governor's  house,  got  a  gun,  and  stood  at 
the  doorway  to  defend  the  family.  During  this 
strange  scene  no  one  spoke  a  word.  The  guard 
soon  came  running  up,  and  were  about  to  fire,  when 
the  governor  ordered  them  not  to  do  so,  and  asked 
the  interpreter  to  explain  what  had  happened.  He 
replied  that  Tecumseh  had  interrupted  him,  saying 
that  all  that  the  governor  had  said  was  false,  and 
that  the  Indians  had  been  cheated  and  imposed  upon 
by  him  and  the  Seventeen  Fires. 

The  governor  then  told  Tecumseh  that  he  was  a 


MEETING  AT  V1NCENNES.  1 89 

bad  man,  and  that  he  would  have  no  further  com 
munication  with  him,  that  he  might  go  in  safety, 
since  he  had  come  under  protection  to  the  coun 
cil-fire,  but  that  he  must  immediately  leave  the 
neighborhood. 

The  following  morning  Tecumseh  sent  for  the  in 
terpreter.  Through  him  he  earnestly  entreated  the 
governor  to  give  him  an  opportunity  to  explain  his 
action,  saying  that  he  did  not  intend  to  attack  him, 
and*  that  he  had  acted  under  the  advice  of  white 
people. 

The  governor  at  last  consented  to  receive  the  In 
dian  chief,  each  party  having  the  same  force  as  be 
fore.  Harrison  and  his  friends  took  pains  to  be 
better  armed,  however. 

At  this  interview  Tecumseh  behaved  very  differ 
ently,  being  cool  and  dignified.  When  the  governor 
asked  him  if  he  intended  to  prevent  the  survey  of 
the  land  on  the  Wabash,  he  answered  that  he  was 
determined  the  old  boundary  should  continue. 

When  Tecumseh  finished  speaking,  Wjandot, 
Kickapoo,  Pottawatomie,  Ottawa,  and  Winnebago 
chiefs  all  spoke,  saying  that  they  had  joined  Tecum- 
seh's  confederacy,  and  appointed  him  their  leader, 
and  that  they  would  support  him. 

Governor  Harrison  then  told  Tecumseh  that  as  he 
had  been  candid  in  acknowledging  his  intentions,  he 


190  TECUMSEH. 

would  be  so  too.  He  would  send  to  the  President 
a  faithful  statement  of  what  he  had  said  in  disputing 
the  claim  to  the  lands  in  question,  and  tell  Tecumseh 
his  answer  when  he  received  it,  but  he  was  sure  the 
President  would  never  admit  them  to  be  the  prop 
erty  of  any  other  than  those  tribes  who  had  occu 
pied  them  since  the  white  people  came  to  America, 
and  that  as  they  had  come  by  their  title  by  fair  pur 
chase,  he  might  be  sure  that  it  would  be  supported 
by  the  sword.  The  council  then  adjourned. 

The  governor  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  have  a 
more  satisfactory  conversation  with  Tecumseh.  He 
accordingly  went  to  visit  him  at  his  encampment 
next  day,  accompanied  only  by  an  interpreter.  Te 
cumseh  received  the  governor  very  politely,  and 
talked  with  him  for  a  long  time.  Governor  Harri 
son  asked  him  if  his  intentions  were  such  as  he  had 
declared  in  council.  Tecumseh  said  they  certainly 
were ;  that  it  would  be  with  great  reluctance  that  he 
would  make  war  upon  the  United  States,  of  whom 
he  had  nothing  to  complain  but  their  purchase  of 
Indian  lands.  He  was  anxious  to  be  their  friend, 
and  if  the  governor  would  prevail  upon  the  Presi 
dent  to  give  up  the  land  recently  bought,  and  agree 
never  to  make  another  treaty  without  the  consent 
of  all  the  tribes,  he  would  be  their  faithful  ally,  and 
assist  them  in  all  their  wars  with  the  English.  He 


MEETING  AT  VINCENNES.  191 

said  he  knew  that  the  British  were  always  urging 
the  Indians  to  war  for  their  own  advantage,  and  not 
for  the  good  of  the  red  men ;  and  clapped  his  hands 
and  imitated  the  halloo  of  a  man  setting  a  dog  on  to 
fight,  to  represent  the  way  in  which  the  British  urged 
the  Indians  on  to  the  Americans.  But,  he  con 
tinued,  he  would  rather  be  the  friend  of  the  Sev 
enteen  Fires.  If  they  did  not  comply  with  his 
terms,  however,  he  would  be  obliged  to  take  the 
other  side.  Probably  this  was  all  true,  for  there  was 
very  little  credulity  about  Tecumseh,  and  if  he  hated 
the  Americans,  he  equally  despised  the  English. 

Governor  Harrison  again  said  that  he  would  tell 
the  President  of  all  his  propositions,  but  that  there 
was  not  the  least  probability  that  he  would  accede  to 
his  terms. 

"Well,"  said  Tecumseh,  "as  the  great  chief  is  to 
determine  the  matter,  I  hope  the  Great  Spirit  will 
put  sense  enough  into  his  head  to  induce  him  to  di 
rect  you  to  give  up  this  land.  It  is  true,  he  is  so  far 
off  he  will  not  be  injured  by  the  war;  he  may  sit  in 
his  town  and  drink  his  wine,  while  you  and  I  will  , 
have  to  fight  it  out." 

The  governor  then  said  that  he  had  one  thing  to 
request  of  Tecumseh,  that  in  case  it  came  to  war  he 
would  put  a  stop  to  that  cruel  and  disgraceful  mode 
of  warfare  which  the  Indians  were  accustomed  to 


IQ2  TECUMSEH. 

wage  against  women  and  children,  and  those  who 
were  no  longer  in  a  situation  to  resist.  Tecumseh 
very  readily  agreed  to  this,  and  he  kept  his  pro 
mise. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

THE  LAST  COUNCIL  BETWEEN  HARRISON 
AND  TECUMSEH. 

IN  the  fall  of  1810,  a  Kickapoo  chief  visited  the 
governor  and  told  him  that  the  designs  of  Tecumseh 
and  the  Prophet  were  certainly  hostile.  At  the  same 
time,  Governor  Clark  of  Missouri  wrote  to  Harrison 
that  belts  had  been  sent  to  the  tribes  west  of  the 
Mississippi  with  an  invitation  to  join  in  a  war  against 
the  United  States,  which  was  to  begin  with  an  attack 
on  Vincennes.  He  said  that  the  Sacs  had  joined  the 
confederacy,  and  had  sent  a  party  to  the  English 
post,  Maiden,  for  arms  and  ammunition.  The  in 
terpreter  at  Chicago  also  sent  word  that  the  Indian 
tribes  in  that  part  of  the  country  were  fully  deter 
mined  upon  war.  In  these  various  reports  from  dif 
ferent  tribes  we  see  the  extent  of  Tecumseh's  travels, 
and  of  the  influence  he  had  acquired  over  distant 
Indians. 

During  1810,  one  of  the  surveyors  who  undertook 
to  run  the  lines  on  the  new  purchase  of  land  on  the 
VVabash  was  driven  off  by  some  Wea  Indians,  who 
took  two  of  his  men  prisoners, 

9 


194  TECUMSEH. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1811,  Governor  Harrison 
sent  a  boat  up  the  Wabash  loaded  with  salt  for  the 
different  Indian  tribes  on  that  river,  including  an 
allowance  for  the  Prophet's  Town.  Tecumseh  had 
been  absent  for  some  time,  on  a  visit  to  the  lakes, 
when  the  boat  arrived  at  Tippecanoe.  The  Prophet 
called  a  council  to  decide  what  should  be  done.  The 
year  before  the  Indians  had  punished  themselves  by 
refusing  to  take  any  salt ;  now  they  decided  to  seize 
it  all.  They  sent  word  to  the  governor  not  to  be 
angry  with  what  they  had  done,  for  the  Prophet  had 
two  thousand  men  to  feed,  and  had  not  received  any 
salt  for  two  years.  There  were  then  about  six  hun 
dred  men  at  Tippecanoe,  and  Tecumseh  was  daily 
expected  with  reinforcements.  These  facts  increased 
the  uneasiness  and  alarm  which  had  been  felt  for 
some  time  in  consequence  of  the  actions  of  the 
brothers.  It  was  now  conjectured  that  an  attack 
was  meditated  upon  Vincennes,  with  eight  hundred 
or  a  thousand  warriors,  a  much  larger  force  than  the 
governor  could  collect. 

For  making  this  attack,  Tecumseh  was  admirably 
well  situated.  He  was  far  enough  away  to  avoid  close 
observation,  centrally  situated  among  the  tribes  he 
wisked  to  unite  immediately,  and  placed  so  that  in 
high  water  his  large  force,  in  their  light  canoes,  could 
glide  silently  down  the  Wabash  in  twenty-four  hours, 


THE   LAST  COUNCIL.  195 

and  appear  before  Vincennes  without  any  warning. 
For  no  messenger  could  travel  overland  with  equal 
expedition. 

Governor  Harrison  sent  a  request  to  the  govern 
ment  that  a  regiment  stationed  at  Pittsburg  under 
Colonel  Boyd  should  be  ordered  to  Vincennes.  He 
also  asked  for  authority  to  act  offensively  against  the 
Indians  when  it  should  be  discovered  that  their  in 
tentions  were  decidedly  hostile,  believing  that  it  was 
best  to  crush  an  outbreak  in  the  beginning. 

There  were  various  little  troubles  constantly  aris 
ing  between  the  settlers  and  the  Indians.  Some 
horses  had  been  stolen,  but  four  of  these  were  re 
turned  on  application  to  Tecumseh.  Some  murders 
had  been  committed  by  certain  Pottawatomies.  The 
Indians  felt  little  inclined  to  trouble  themselves  about 
redressing  these  wrongs,  because  similar  aggressions 
often  took  place  on  the  part  of  the  whites.  Govern 
or  Harrison  says ;  "  I  wish  I  could  say  the  Indians 
were  treated  with  justice  and  propriety  on  all  occa 
sions  by  our  citizens,  but  it  is  far  otherwise.  They 
are  often  abused  and  maltreated,  and  it  is  rare  that 
they  obtain  any  satisfaction  for  the  most  unprovoked 
wrongs."  A  Muskoe  Indian  was  killed  in  Vincennes 
by  an  Italian  innkeeper  without  any  just  cause.  The 
governor  ordered  that  the  murderer  should  be  ap 
prehended,  but  so  great  was  the  antagonism  to  the 


I9<5  TECUMSEH. 

Indians  among  all  classes,  that  on  his  trial  the  jury 
acquitted  the  homicide  almost  without  any  delibera- 
.tion. 

About  the  same  time,  two  Woa  Indians  were  badly 
wounded  near  Vincennes  by  some  whites,  without 
the  slightest  provocation.  Such  facts  exasperated 
the  Indians,  and  led  to  their  refusal  to  deliver  up 
Indians  who  had  committed  like  offences  against 
white  men.  When  the  governor  made  a  demand  on 
the  Delaware  Indians  for  White  Turkey,  who  had 
robbed  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Vawter,  the  chiefs  refused 
to  give  him  up,  saying  that  they  would  never  deliver 
up  another  man  until  some  of  the  whites  were  pun 
ished  who  had  murdered  their  people.  They  put 
White  Turkey  to  death  themselves,  however. 

In  June,  Tecumseh  had  returned  from  a  visit  to 
the  Iroquois  and  Wyandot  Indians.  Governor  Har 
rison  sent  to  him  and  the  Prophet,  along  with  the 
other  chiefs  at  Tippecanoe,  the  following  speech : — 

"  BROTHERS :  Listen  to  me.  I  speak  to  you  about 
matters  of  importance  both  to  the  white  people  and 
yourselves  ;  open  your  ears,  therefore,  and  attend  to 
what  I  shall  say.  Brothers,  this  is  the  third  year 
that  all  the  white  people  in  this  country  have  been 
alarmed  at  your  proceedings  ;  you  threaten  us  with 
war ;  you  invite  all  the  tribes  to  the  north  and  west 
of  you  to  join  against  us. 


THE  LAST  COUNCIL.  197 

"  Brothers,  your  warriors  who  have  lately  been 
here  deny  this,  but  I  have  received  information  from 
every  direction  ;  the  tribes  on  the  Mississippi  have 
sent  me  word  that  you  intended  to  murder  me,  and 
then  to  commence  a  war  upon  our  people.  I  have 
also  received  the  speech  you  sent  to  the  Pottawato- 
mies  and  others  to  join  you  for  that  purpose ;  but  if 
I  had  no  other  evidence  of  your  hostility  to  us,  your 
seizing  the  salt  I  lately  sent  up  the  Wabash  is  suffi 
cient.  Brothers,  our  citizens  are  alarmed,  and  my 
warriors  are  preparing  themselves,  not  to  strike 
you,  but  to  defend  themselves  and  their  women  and 
children.  You  shall  not  surprise  us  as  you  expect  to 
do  ;  you  are  about  to  undertake  a  very  rash  act.  As 
a  friend,  I  advise  you  to  consider  well  of  it ;  a  little 
reflection  may  save  us  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and 
prevent  much  mischief;  it  is  not  yet  too  late. 

"  Brothers,  what  can  be  the  inducement  for  you  to 
undertake  an  enterprise  when  there  is  so  little  prob 
ability  of  success  ?  Do  you  really  think  that  the 
>  handful  of  men  that  you  have  about  you  are  able 
to  contend  with  the  Seventeen  Fires,  or  even  that  the 
whole  of  the  tribes  united  could  contend  against  the 
Kentucky  fire  alone  ?  Brothers,  I  am  myself  of  the 
Long  Knife  fire  [Virginia  and  Kentucky].  As  soon 
as  they  hear  my  voice  you  will  see  them  pouring 
forth  their  swarms  of  hunting-shirt  men,  as  numerous 


198  TECUMSEH. 

as  the  mosquitoes  on  the  shores  of  the  Wabash. 
Brothers,  take  care  of  their  stings.  Brothers,  it  is 
not  our  wish  to  hurt  you  ;  if  we  did,  we  certainly 
have  power  to  do  it.  Look  at  the  number  of  our 
warriors  to.  the  east  of  you,  above  and  below  the 
Great  Miami ;  to  the  south  on  both  sides  of  the  Ohio, 
and  below  you  also.  You  are  brave  men,  but  what 
could  you  do  against  such  a  multitude  ? — but  we  wish 
you  to  live  in  peace  and  happiness. 

"  Brothers,  the  citizens  of  this  country  are  alarmed. 
They  must  be  satisfied  that  you  have  no  design  to 
do  them  mischief,  or  they  will  not  lay  aside  their 
arms.  You  have  also  insulted  the  government  of 
the  United  States  by  seizing  the  salt  that  was  in 
tended  for  other  tribes  ;  satisfaction  must  be  given  for 
that  also.  Brothers,  you  talk  of  coming  to  see  me, 
attended  by  all  your  young  men ;  this,  however, 
must  not  be  so.  If  your  intentions  are  good,  you 
have  need  to  bring  but  a  few  of  your  young  men 
with  you.  I  must  be  plain  with  you  ;  I  will  not  suf 
fer  you  to  come  into  our  settlements  with  such  a 
force. 

"  Brothers,  if  you  wish  to  satisfy  us  that  your  in 
tentions  are  good,  follow  the  advice  I  have  given  you 
before :  that  is,  that  one  or  both  of  you  should  visit 
the  President  of  the  United  States  and  lay  your 
grievances  before  him.  He  will  treat  you  well,  will 


THE   LAST  COUNCIL.  199 

listen  to  what  you  say,  and  if  you  can  show  him  that 
you  have  been  injured,  you  will  receive  justice.  If 
you  will  follow  my  advice  in  this  respect  it  will  con 
vince  the  citizens  of  this  country  and  myself  that  you 
have  no  design  to  attack  them.  Brothers,  with  re» 
spect  to  the  lands  that  were  purchased  last  fall,  I  can 
enter  into  no  negotiations  with  you  on  that  subject ; 
the  affair  is  in  the  hands  of  the  President.  If  you 
wish  to  go  and  see  him,  I  will  supply  you  with  the 
means. 

"  Brothers,  the  person  who  delivers  this  is  one  of 
my  war  officers.  He  is  a  man  in  whom  I  have  en 
tire  confidence.  Whatever  he  says  to  you,  although 
it  may  not  be  contained  in  this  paper,  you  may  be 
lieve  comes  from  me. 

"  My  friend  Tecumseh,  the  bearer  is  a  good  man 
and  a  brave  warrior.  I  hope  you  will  treat  him  well. 
You  are  yourself  a  warrior,  and  all  such  should  have 
esteem  for  each  other." 

Captain  Wilson,  the  bearer  of  this  message,  was 
well  received  at  Tippecanoe,  and  Tecumseh,  who  had 
much  appreciation  for  a  brave  warrior,  treated  him 
with  particular  friendship. 

He  sent  this  answer  back  to  the  governor : — 

"  BROTHER  :  I  give  you  a  few  words  until  I  will  be 
with  you  myself.  Brother,  at  Vincennes,  I  wish  you 
to  listen  to  me  whilst  I  send  you  a  few  words,  and 


200  TECUMSEH. 

I  hope  they  will  ease  your  heart.     I  know  you  look 

on  your  young  men  and  young  women  and  children 
with  pity,  to  see  them  so  alarmed.  Brother,  I  wish 
you  now  to  examine  what  you  have  from  me.  I 
hope  it  will  be  a  satisfaction  to  you,  if  your  intentions 
are  like  mine,  to  wash  away  all  these  bad  stories  that 
have  been  circulated.  I  will  be  with  you  myself  in 
eighteen  days  from  this  day. 

"  Brother,  we  cannot  say  what  will  become  of  us, 
as  the  Great  Spirit  has  the  management  of  us  all  at 
his  will.  I  may  be  there  before  the  time,  and  may 
not  be  there  until  the  day.  I  hope  that  when  we 
come  together  all  these  bad  tales  will  be  settled.  By 
this  I  hope  your  young  men,  women  and  children 
will  be  easy.  I  wish  you,  brother,  to  let  them  know 
when  I  come  to  Vincennes  and  see  you,  all  will  be 
-.settled  in  peace  and  happiness.  Brother,  these  are 
only  a  few  words  to  let  you  know  that  I  will  be  with 
you  myself;  and  when  I  am  with  you  I  can  inform 
you  better.  Brother,  if  I  find  I  can  be  with  you  in 
less  than  eighteen  days,  I  will  send  one  of  my  young 
men  before  me  to  let  you  know  the  time  I  will  be 
with  you." 

Early  in  July,  Governor  Harrison  received  word 
from  Illinois  that  some  murders  had  been  committed 
in  that  territory,  it  was  believed  by  Shawnees.  He 
also  received  information  that  the  attack  was  to  be 


THE  LAST  COUNCIL.  2OI 

begun  in  Illinois  to  cover  the  main  object,  an  attack 
on  Vincennes.  Both  territories  were  now  thrown  in 
to  a  state  of  alarm,  and  the  inhabitants  sent  official 
notification  to  the  Secretary  of  War  that  they  would 
protect  themselves  if  the  government  did  not  take 
measures  to  protect  them. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  Governor 
Harrison  said,  with  regard  to  Tecumseh :  "  Upon 
being  told  that  I  would  not  suffer  him  to  come  with 
so  large  a  force,  he  promised  to  bring  with  him  a  few 
men  only.  I  shall  not,  however,  depend  upon  this 
promise,  but  shall  have  the  river  watched  by  a  party 
of  scouts  after  the  descent  of  the  chief,  lest  he  should 
be  followed  by  his  warriors.  I  do  not  think  this 
will  be  the  case.  The  detection  of  the  hostile  de 
signs  of  an  Indian  is  generally  for  that  time  to  de 
feat  them.  The  hopes  of  an  expedition,  conducted 
through  many  hundred  miles  of  toil  and  difficulty, 
are  abandoned  frequently  upon  the  slightest  suspi 
cion,  their  painful  steps  retraced,  and  a  more  favor 
able  moment  expected.  With  them,  the  surprise  of 
an  enemy  bestows  more  eclat  upon  a  warrior  than 
the  most  brilliant  success  obtained  by  other  means. 
Tecumseh  had  taken  for  his  model  the  celebrated 
Pontiac,  and  I  am  persuaded  he  will  bear  a  favorable 
comparison  in  every  respect  with  that  far-famed 


202  TECUMSEH. 

Tecumseh  made  his  visit  to  Vincennes  during  the 
latter  part  of  July.  He  could  not  travel  without  a 
proper  retinue,  and  was  accompanied  at  this  time  by 
three  hundred  Indians,  of  whom  thirty  were  women 
and  children. 

An  arbor  was  built  for  the  council.  At  this  the 
chief  was  attended  by  one  hundred  and  seventy  war 
riors,  without  guns,  but  armed  either  with  knives 
and  tomahawks  or  bows  and  arrows. 

The  governor  opened  the  council.  He  made  refer 
ence  to  the  murders  in  Illinois  and  the  alarm  Tecum 
seh  had  created  on  the  Wabash  by  his  passage  with 
so  large  a  force.  He  said  he  would  listen  to  what 
Tecumseh  or  any  of  the  other  chiefs  might  have  to 
say  about  the  purchase  of  land  on  the  Wabash,  but 
he  could  enter  into  no  negotiation  about  it,  as  the 
matter  was  in  the  hands  of  the  President.  He  tben 
spoke  of  the  seizure  of  the  salt,  and  demanded  an 
explanation.  Tecumseh  replied,  admitting  that  the 
salt  had  been  seized,  but  he  said  it  was  during  his 
absence,  and  that  he  was  also  away  the  spring  be-fore 
when  the  salt  was  refused.  He  said  it  seemed  im 
possible  to  please  the  governor:  last  year  he  was 
angry  because  the  salt  was  refused,  and  this  year  he 
was  just  as  much  displeased  because  it  was  taken.  At 
this  point  the  council  adjourned  for  the  day.  When 
it  was  opened  the  next  day  a  long  speech  was  made 


THE  LAST  COUNCIL.  2O3 

by  a  Wea  chief  with  regard  to  all  the  treaties  that  had 
been  made  by  the  governor  of  Indiana.  The  gov 
ernor  then  told  Tecumseh  that  if  he  would  give  up 
the  two  Pottawatomies  who  had  murdered  the  white 
men,  it  would  show  him  to  be  sincere  in  his  profes 
sions  of  friendship  to  the  United  States  and  of  desire 
to  preserve  peace.  Tecumseh  replied  that  he  had 
been  at  great  pains  to  induce  all  the  Northern  tribes 
of  Indians  to  unite  and  place  themselves  under  him  ; 
that  the  whites  were  alarmed  unnecessarily  at  his 
measures,  which  meant  peace.  He  said  the  United 
States  had  set  him  the  example  of  forming  a  union 
among  all  the  Fires.  The  Indians,  he  said,  did  not 
complain  of  it,  and  their  white  brethren  ought  not  to 
complain  of  the  Indians  doing  the  same  thing  among 
their  tribes.  As  soon  as  the  council  was  over:  he 
said  he  intended  to  set  out  on  a  visit  to  the  Southern 
tribes  of  Indians  to  prevail  upon  them  to  unite  with 
the  Northern.  He  said  the  murderers  were  not  at 
his  town,  and  if  they  were,  he  could  not  deliver  them 
up ;  he  had  set  the  whites  an  example  of  forgiveness 
of  injuries,  and  they  ought  to  imitate  him.  He  said 
he  hoped  that  nothing  would  be  done  toward  settling 
the  new  purchase  until  his  return  the  following  spring. 
A  great  number  of  Indians  were  coming,  he  said,  to 
settle  at  Tippecanoe,  and  would  need  the  land  for  a 
hunting  ground ;  and  if  they  did  no  more  injury,  they 


204  TECUMSEH. 

might  at  least  kill  the  cattle  and  hogs  of  the  white 
people,  ind  that  this  would  make  disturbances,  and 
he  wished  all  to  remain  quiet  until  his  return,  when 
he  would  visit  the  President  and  settle  all  difficulties 
with  him.  It  was  now  night,  ;md  the  governor  closed 
the  council,  saying  that  the  moon  which  they  saw 
would  sooner  fall  to  the  ground  than  the  President 
would  suffer  his  people  to  be  murdered  with  impunity, 
and  that  he  would  put  petticoats  on  his  warriors 
sooner  than  give  up  a  country  which  he  had  fairly 
bought  from  its  true  owners.  Harrison  had  ordered 
a  parade  of  the  whole  militia  of  the  country  on  the 
day  of  Tecumseh's  arrival ;  and  by  the  maneuvering 
of  the  garrison,  in  making  frequent  reliefs  of  one 
company  by  another,  he  made  it  appear  stronger 
than  it  was,  and  he  hoped  to  convince  the  chief  that 
Vincennes  was  guarded  by  a  vigilance  that  defied 
surprise. 

A  Pottawatomie,  called  the  Deaf  Chief,  from  his 
being  hard  of  hearing,  was  present  at  this  council. 
He  told  the  governor,  in  the  presence  of  other  In 
dians,  after  it  was  over,  that  if  he  had  been  called 
upon  he  would  have  confronted  Tecumseh  when  he 
denied  that  his  intentions  were  hostile.  This  was 
quickly  reported  to  Tecumseh,  who  calmly  intimated 
to  the  Prophet  that  on  his  return  to  Tippecanoe  the 
Deaf  Chief  must  be  put  out  of  the  way.  He  was 


THE  LAST  COUNCIL.  205 

informed  of  his  danger  by  a  friend,  but  was  not  in 
the  least  intimidated.  He  returned  to  his  camp,  put 
on  his  war  dress,  painted  himself  elaborately,  armed 
himself  with  rifle,  tomahawk,  war-club,  and  scalping- 
knife,  and  paddled  in  his  canoe  to  the  camp  of  Te- 
cumseh.  The  interpreter,  Mr.  Baron,  was  there  in 
conversation  with  Tecumseh.  The  Deaf  Chief  re 
proached  Tecumseh  for  having  ordered  his  death, 
saying  it  was  an  act  unworthy  of  a  warrior. 

"  Here  I  am  now,"  said  he  ;  "  come  and  kill  me." 

Tecumseh  made  no  answer. 

"  You,  and  your  men,"  continued  the  Deaf  Chief, 
"  can  kill  the  white  people's  hogs  and  call  them  bears, 
but  you  dare  not  face  a  warrior." 

Tecumseh  remained  calmly  silent  The  Pottawat- 
omie  abused  him  in  every  way  he  could,  in  order  to 
rouse  his  anger  and  tempt  him  to  fight,  calling  him 
a  slave  of  the  red-coats,  and  finally  using  a  term  of 
reproach  that  can  never  be  forgotten  by  an  Indian. 
Tecumseh,  however,  did  not  for  a  moment  lose  his 
calm  dignity,  and  the  Deaf  Chief  gave  the  war- 
whoop  of  defiance  and  paddled  off.  There  is  rea 
son  to  suppose  that  Tecumseh  Js  orders  were  not  dis 
obeyed,  however,  for  the  Pottawatomie  was  never 
again  seen  at  Vincennes. 

Tecumseh  set  off  from  Vincennes  for  the  South  in 
a  few  days,  attended  by  twenty  warriors.  He  was 


2O6  TECUMSEH. 

now  nearing  the  accomplishment  of  his  great  plan. 
On  his  return  from  this  visit  he  would  have  his  con 
federacy  formed  and  be  ready  to  act  But  Harrison 
had  determined  not  to  await  Tecumseh's  readiness. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

GETTING   READY  FOR  WAR. 

IN  a  letter  to  the  War  Department  with  regard  to 
this  council,  Governor  Harrison  speaks  of  "  the  im 
plicit  obedience  and  icspect  which  the  followers  of 
Tecumseh  pay  to  him,"  as  wonderful.  He  says : 
"  If  it  were  not  for  the  vicinity  of  the  United  States, 
he  would  perhaps  be  the  founder  of  an  empire  that 
would  rival  in  glory  Mexico  or  Peru.  No  difficul 
ties  deter  him.  For  four  yeais  he  has  been  in  con- . 
stant  motion.  You  see  him  to-day  on  the  Wabash, 
and  in  a  short  time  hear  of  him  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Erie  or  Michigan,  or  on  the  banks  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  ;  and  wherever  he  goes  he  makes  an  impres 
sion  favorable  to  his  purpose.  He  is  now  upon  the 
last  round  to  put  a  finishing  stroke  to  his  work.  I 
hope,  however,  before  his  return,"  says  the  general, 
"  that  that  part  of  the  work  which  he  considered 
complete  will  be  demolished,  and  even  its  founda 
tion  rooted  up." 

It  appears  that  though  the  power  of  Tecumseh 
over  most  of  his  followers  was  founded  on  their  af 
fection  for  him,  some  were  subdued  by  fear  alone, 


208  TECUMSEH. 

and  the  moment  Tecumseh  had  left  Vincennes  for 
the  South  they  took  occasion  to  express  their  strong 
discontent. 

We  have  only  some  fragments  of  the  history  of 
Tccumseh's  visit  to  the  Southern  Indians.  One 
traveler  among  the  Creeks  or  Muskogees  heard  that 
Tecumseh  "  came  more  than  a  thousand  miles,  from 
the  borders  of  Canada,"  to  visit  that  nation  and  to 
persuade  them  to  go  to  war  with  the  English  against 
the  Americans  whenever  he  gave  notice.  A  mid 
night  council  of  the  chiefs  was  held,  an  eloquent 
speech  was  made  by  Tecumseh,  and  the  Creeks 
unanimously  decided  to  "  take  up  the  hatchet "  when 
he  should  command. 

From  another  writer  we  get  an  account  of  Tecum- 
seh's  work  with  the  Seminoles  and  neighboring  tribes 
in  Florida.  Among  them  he  was  also  successful. 
He  told  them  that  on  a  particular  day  a  certain  ves 
sel  of  the  "  red-coats,"  filled  with  arms  and  supplies 
for  the  Indians,  would  be  off  the  coast  of  Florida. 
Tecumseh  prepared  them  a  calendar,  showing  the 
day  on  which  they  were  to  strike  the  white  settle 
ments.  This  he  did  by  making  little  bundles  of 
sticks  which  he  painted  red.  Each  bundle  contained 
sticks  equal  to  the  number  of  days  that  would  pass 
before  the  one  arrived  which  he  had  indicated  to 
them.  Every  morning  they  were  to  throw  away  a 


GETTING   READY   FOR   WAR.  2OQ 

stick.  Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  the  Seminoles,  in 
the  war  which  followed,  became  widely  known  under 
the  name  of  "Red  Sticks."  Tecumseh  was  very 
cautious  in  his  operations.  He  directed  the  Indians 
to  answer  any  inquiry  that  might  be  made  as  to  why 
he  had  come  from  so  far,  saying  that  he  had  told 
them  to  till  the  ground,  to  abstain  from  the  use  of 
"  fire-water,"  and  to  live  peaceably  with  the  white 
people. 

From  Florida  he  journeyed  to  Alabama,  where  he 
visited  the  Creeks  of  that  region.  Here  we  again 
hear  of  Tecumseh  working  upon  the  superstitious 
fears  of  the  Indians.  He  was  very  successful  until 
he  reached  the  town  of  Tuckabatchee,  on  the  Talla- 
poosa  River.  In  this  place  he  addressed  the  council 
of  the  nation,  and  met  a  silent  opponent  in  the  prin 
cipal  chief,  Big  Warrior.  Tecumseh  divined  the  feel 
ings  of  this  chief.  He  angrily  stamped  his  feet  on 
the  ground,  and  looking  into  the  eyes  of  Big  War 
rior,  said : — 

"  Your  blood  is  white.  You  have  taken  my  talk, 
and  the  sticks,  and  the  wampum,  and  the  hatchet, 
but  you  do  not  mean  to  fight  I  know  the  reascui. 
You  do  not  believe  the  Great  Spirit  has  sent  me. 
You  shall  know.  I  leave  Tuckabatchee  directly  and 
shdl  go  straight  to  Detroit;  when  I  arrive  there.  I 
will  stamp  on  the  ground  with  my  foot,  and  shake 


210  TECUMSEH. 

down  all  the  houses  in  Tuckabatchee."  Tectimseh 
left  them,  and  it  chanced  in  a  few  weeks  that  the 
famous  earthquake  of  New  Madrid,  in  which  a  large 
tract  of  land  on  the  Mississippi  sank,  occurred,  and 
demolished  every  house  in  Tuckabatchee.  The  In 
dians  exclaimed,  "Tecumseh  has  got  to  Detroit!" 
How  much  fact  there  is  in  the  story  we  do  not 
know,  but  such  a  story  will  grow,  and  the  later  ver 
sions  of  this  one  have  it  that  the  earthquake  took 
place  on  the  very  day  of  Tecumseh's  arrival  in  De 
troit.  Without  this  addition  the  coincidence  was 
sufficiently  remarkable  for  Indian  superstition.  War 
riors  took  up  their  rifles  and  prepared  for  war; 
prophets  and  witches  became  numerous,  and  mur 
ders  were  committed  on  the  frontier.  A  company 
of  Indians  under  Little  Warrior,  who  had  been  on  a 
visit  to  Tecumseh,  butchered  several  families  in  Ten 
nessee  on  the  return  journey. 

Tecumseh  was  very  successful  in  his  Southern  mis 
sion,  and  turned  toward  home  with  his  plans  at  last 
matured  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  great  purpose. 
He  passed  through  the  tribes  in  Missouri,  and  on  the 
Des  Moines  River,  and  crossed  rapidly  to  the  Wa- 
bash  to  find  his  capital  destroyed  and  his  plans  come 
to  naught. 

Tecumseh  had  told  Governor  Harrison  that  he 
would  remain  a  year  in  the  South  The  governor 


GETTING  READY  FOR  WAR.  211 

had  information,  however,  that  Tecumseh  did  not  in 
tend  to  stay  more  than  three  months.  A  Pottawat- 
omie  chief,  who  still  remained  friendly  to  the  United 
States,  said  he  was  present  when  a  message  was  de 
livered  to  the  Prophet  from  the  agent  of  the  English 
government  to  the  effect  that  it  was  time  to  take  up 
the  hatchet,  and  inviting  him  to  send  to  Maiden  for 
the  supplies  that  were  needed. 

The  last  council  with  Tecumseh  was  not  at  all  sat 
isfactory  to  the  inhabitants  of  Indiana.  The  great 
chief  had  gone  to  the  South  to  extend  his  hostile 
confederacy,  and  every  bit  of  tidings  that  reached 
the  settlements  from  the  Indians  tended  to  increase 
the  alarm.  The  citizens  of  Vincennes  and  its  vicinity 
met  and  sent  memorials  to  the  President,  requesting 
his  protection,  and  saying  that  if  this  were  not  ac 
corded  they  would  be  obliged  to  defend  themselves. 

The  President  ordered  the  Fourth  Regiment,  un 
der  Colonel  Boyd,  to  service  under  the  governor  of 
Indiana,  but  strongly  impressed  upon  him  the  desira 
bility  of  maintaining  peace  if  possible.  The  govern 
ment  did  not  wish,  however,  that  murder  or  robbery 
should  be  committed  by  the  Indians  without  punish 
ment,  or  that  a  confederacy  should  be  allowed  to 
"avail  itself  of  success,"  because  of  neglect  in  meeting 
and  defeating  it.  It  would  have  been  better  to  have 
extinguished  Tecumseh's  empire  even  at  an  earlier 


212  TECUMSEH. 

day.  Every  sign  of  weakness  or  tardiness  is  unfortu 
nate  in  dealing  with  savages.  In  August,  Harrison 
sent  speeches  to  all  the  neighboring  Indian  tribes, 
demanding  that  those  who  had  murdered  American 
x  citizens  should  be  delivered  up,  and  that  the  Miamis 
in  particular  should  prove  that  they  had  no  connec 
tion  with  the  confederacy.  He  directed  his  agent  to 
use  every  influence  to  bring  the  Indians  to  a  sense  of 
duty,  and  to  warn  them  that  those  who  took  up  the 
tomahawk  against  the  United  States  would  be  se 
verely  punished.  This  brought  a  party  of  Indians 
from  the  Prophet's  Town,  in  September,  with  great 
professions  of  peace. 

About  the  same  time,  however,  some  horses  were 
stolen,  and  tracked  to  Tippecanoe.  Here  they  were 
returned  to  the  pursuing  party,  but  were  again  re 
captured  by  the  Indians,  who  seemed  to  regret 
having  given  them  up. 

On  the  26th  of  September,  Governor  Harrison, 
in  command  of  a  military  expedition  against  the 
Tippecanoe  confederacy,  left  Vincennes.  He  en 
camped  at  a  spot  on  the  Wabash  where,  according 
to  Indian  tradition,  a  battle  had  been  fought  between 
the  Illinois  and  Iroquois  Indians.  This  place  wab 
called  by  the  French  settlers  "  Bataille  des  Illinois." 
Here  a  fort  was  built,  and  called  Fort  Harrison  by 
request  of  the  soldiers. 


GETTING   READY  FOR  WAR.  213 

The  governor  had  sent  to  the  Delawares  asking 
that  seme  of  their  chiefs  should  meet  his  army  upon 
the  Wabash,  in  order  that  they  might  act  in  missions 
o  the  different  tribes  who  were  implicated  in  the 
Prophet's  confederacy.  All  the  chiefs  of  this  friendly 
nation  who  were  able  to  march  r>et  out  to  comply 
with  the  governor's  request  They  had  gone  but  a 
few  miles  when  they  were  met  by  a  party  from  Tip- 
pecanoe,  asking  "  whether  they  would  or  would  not 
join  them  in  the  war  against  the  United  States," 
and  saying  "  that  they  had  taken  up  the  tomahawk, 
and  would  not  lay  it  down  but  with  their  lives. 
They  had,  however,  positive  assurances  of  victory, 
and  when  they  had  beaten  the  Americans,  those 
tribes  which  refused  to  join  them  would  have  cause 
to  repent  it"  Sending  a  messenger  to  Harrison  to 
inform  him  of  this,  the  Delaware  chiefs  set  out  to 
visit  the  Prophet. 

About  this  time  a  sentinel  in  Harrison's  camp  was 
fired  upon  by  the  Indians  and  severely  wounded. 

The  governor  was  now  desirous  of  attacking  the 
Prophet  immediately,  knowing  that  Tecumseh  might 
soon  return,  and  feeling  no  doubt  that  the  Prophet 
was  determined  on  war.  Harrison  was  delayed, 
however,  by  defective  arrangements  in  regard  to 
provisions  for  the  expedition,  and  by  this  delay  he 
was  much  annoyed 


214  TECUMSEH. 

The  governor  had  hoped  that  the  advance  of  his 
army  would  frighten  the  Tippecanoe  Indians  into 
submission.  This,  however,  was  not  the  case,  though 
it  made  a  strong  impression  upon  some  of  the  tribes. 
The  Miami  chiefs  started  to  visit  the  governor,  and 
the  Weas  said  that  they  would  never  return  to  the 
Prophet. 

On  the  2 /th  of  October,  the  Delaware  chiefs,  who 
had  gone  to  make  a  visit  to  the  Prophet,  returnee* 
They  said  that  the  Prophet  had  insulted  them,  mak 
ing  contemptuous  remarks  upon  them  and  scoffing  at 
the  governor.  The  Prophet  had  received  them  with 
bad  grace,  treated  them  ill,  and  finally  dismissed 
them.  They  left  him  practicing  his  "  infernal  rites," 
while  he  and  his  followers  danced  the  war-dance 
every  night.  While  they  were  there  the  Indians 
who  had  wounded  the  sentinel  in  Harrison's  camp 
returned.  The  Delawares  said  they  were  Shawnees 
and  near  friends  of  the  Prophet. 

The  Prophet  had  threatened  to  burn  the  first 
prisoners  he  should  take.  The  interpreters  were  so 
frightened  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  get  them 
to  the  front  of  the  army.  The  governor  therefore 
accepted  an  offer  made  by  some  of  the  Delawares 
and  the  Miamis  to  carry  a  message  to  the  Prophet's 
Town.  Governor  Harrison  demanded  of  them  that 
Winnebagoes,  Pottawatomies,  and  Kickapoos,  who 


GETTING  READY  FOR  WAR.  21$ 

were  at  Tippecanoe,  should  return  to  their  tribes; 
that  stolen  horses  should  be  restored,  and  murderers 
of  white  people  delivered  up. 

The  deputation  which  bore  this  message  never 
returned.  It  is  supposed  that  the  Miamis  took  part 
in  the  battle  which  followed,  as  they  afterwards  con 
fessed  to  having  been  near  when  the  action  took 
place. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  TIPPECANOE. 

ON  the  29th  of  October,  1811,  the  army  marched 
out  of  Fort  Harrison,  leaving  behind  them  a  garrison 
of  invalid  soldiers.  Governor  Harrison's  force  con 
sisted  of  about  nine  hundred  men,  including  some 
volunteers  from  Kentucky,  who,  with  a  love  of  con 
flict  characteristic  of  Kentuckians,  had  requested  the 
privilege  of  joining  in  the  expedition,  and  who  met 
him  on  the  way.  There  were  two  routes  used  by 
the  Indians  in  journeying  to  Tippecanoe.  The  one 
on  the  south-east  side  of  the  Wabash  was  the  shorter, 
but  it  was  woody  and  very  favorable  to  Indian  am 
buscades.  Harrison  thought  best,  for  this  reason,  to 
take  the  route  on  the  north-west  bank  of  the  river, 
but  in  order  to  deceive  the  enemy,  who  were  closely 
watching  him,  he  had  the  route  on  the  south-east 
side  of  the  river  reconnoitered  and  opened  into  a 
wagon  road.  Upon  this  the  army  marched  for  a 
short  distance,  when,  suddenly  crossing  the  Wabash, 
they  took  the  other  route.  No  signs  of  Indians  were 
seen  until  the  troops  reached  a  very  dangerous  pass 
at  Pine  Creek.  This  creek  ran  between  high  cliffs  of 


THE  BATTLE  OF  TIPPECANOE. 


rock  surmounted  with  pine  and  cedar  trees.  The 
crossing  of  the  trail  on  which  the  troops  were  march 
ing  was  very  difficult,  and  afforded  a  chance  for  a 
few  Indians  to  successfully  oppose  a  large  force.  In 
1786,  and  again  in  1790,  the  Indians  had  availed 
themselves  of  this  bad  crossing  for  the  purpose  of  re 
sisting  in  the  first  instance  an  expedition  under  Gen 
eral  Clark,  and  in  the  second  a  detachment  of  Gen 
eral  Harmar's  troops.  The  governor  sent  out  a  body 
of  men  in  the  night  to  search  for  a  better  pass.  They 
returned  the  next  day  and  reported  that  they  had 
found  a  good  ford,  which  had  evidently  been  used  by 
the  Indians,  where  a  prairie  skirted  the  creek.  The 
army  crossed  at  this  place  in  safety,  and  were  filled 
with  admiration  at  the  beauty  of  the  great  prairie, 
which  stretched  away  nearly  a  hundred  miles  to  the 
Illinois  River. 

On  the  night  of  the  5th  of  November,  the  troops 
encamped  within  ten  miles  of  the  Prophet's  Town. 
Still  no  Indians  were  seen,  although  there  were  every 
where  traces  of  scouting  parties.  On  the  following 
day,  however,  within  five  or  six  miles  of  the  town, 
some  parties  of  Indians  were  seen,  and  the  interpre 
ters  in  front  of  the  army  were  directed  to  communi 
cate  with  them.  The  Indians  gave  them  no  answer 
but  threatening  and  insulting  gestures. 

When  they  arrived  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the 
10 


2l8  TECUMSEH. 

town,  General  Harrison  resolved  to  encamp  for  the 
night.  He  was  urged  to  attack  the  town  imme- 
x  diately,  but  his  instructions  were  to  avoid  war  if  pos 
sible  ;  and  he  also  hoped  for  the  return  of  the  friendly 
Indians  whom  he  had  sent  to  the  Prophet's  Town  to 
meet  him.  He  decided  to  advance,  however,  send 
ing  Captain  Dubois  forward  with  a  flag  of  truce. 
Dubois  did  not  succeed  in  opening  any  negotiation 
with  the  Indians,  who  refused  to  answer  his  inter 
preter,  and  tried  to  cut  him  off  from  the  main  army. 
General  Harrison  now  hesitated  no  longer  about  at 
tacking  the  Indians.  They,  however,  had  no  thought 
of  fighting  without  a  surprise.  Harrison  was  soon 
met  by  a  deputation  of  three  Indians,  one  of  whom 
was  the  Prophet's  chief  counselor.  They  innocently 
inquired  the  reason  of  the  army's  advancing  upon 
them.  The  Prophet,  they  said,  wished  to  keep  peace 
if  possible,  and  had  sent  a  specific  message  by  the 
chiefs  who  had  come  to  him  from  the  governor,  but 
that  they  had  unfortunately  returned  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Wabash,  and  thus  missed  him.  The  gen 
eral  readily  agreed  to  suspend  hostilities  and  to  meet 
the  Indians  the  next  day  for  the  purpose  of  treating 
for  peace.  He  told  the  deputation  that  he  would  go 
to  the  Wabash  and  encamp  there  for  the  night.  The 
army  marched  on  toward  the  town  in  order  to  find  a 
good  place  for  encampment  When  they  neared  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  TIPPECANOE.  219 

town  the  order  of  troops  was  changed  to  suit  the 
uneven  character  of  the  country.  This  maneuver 
alarmed  the  suspicious  savages,  who  immediately 
prepared  for  defence.  The  governor  rode  forward, 
called  some  Indians  to  him,  and  assured  them  that  he 
had  no  intentions  of  attacking  them.  Some  officers 
were  sent  out  to  select  a  suitable  place  for  the  camp, 
and  this  having  been  decided  upon,  the  army  settled 
itself  for  the  night  in  order  of  battle,  the  men  sleeping 
on  their  arms.  They  were  much  dissatisfied  that 
there  was  no  prospect  of  fighting.  Some  of  those 
who  were  more  experienced  in  Indian  ways  were  not 
so  sure  of  this,  however. 

A  strange  and  exciting  night  was  this  in  the  town 
of  the  Indian  Prophet  This  place  thus  rudely  in 
vaded  was  a  sacred  spot,  the  very  centre  and  capital 
of  the  new  religious  fanaticism,  where  all  its  mysteri 
ous  rites  were  performed.  It  was,  according  to  their 
leader,  a  place  chosen  for  them  by  the  Great  Spirit ; 
like  Jerusalem  among  the  Jews,  the  peculiar  home  of 
religion  and  of  patriotism.  The  fortifications  which 
surrounded  the  town  were  impregnable  to  white 
troops,  so  the  Prophet  told  them.  And  now  the 
strength  of  their  faith  and  of  their  arms  was  to  be 
tested. 

Had  Tecumseh  been  at  home,  matters  might  have 
ended  differently.  He  had  left  orders  that  war  was 


220  TECUMSEH. 

^to  be  avoided  during  his  absence  at  all  hazards, 
Whether  or  not  there  had  sprung  ip  a  jealousy  be 
tween  the  brothers,  apparently  so  firmly  united,  we 
shall  never  know.  But  it  would  have  taken  more 
magnanimity  than  the  Prophet  possessed  to  have 
seen  with  composure  the  rapid  rise  of  Tecumseh's 
fame  and  power,  eclipsing  and  absorbing  the  glory  of 
his  spiritual  influence.  He  found  himself  surrounded 
by  impetuous  warriors,  among  them  the  flower  of  the 
Wmnebago  braves,  and  his  force  was  in  no  way  infe 
rior  to  that  of  the  white  troops  under  Governor  Har 
rison,  who  were  in  an  unfortified  camp.  His  men 
were  worked  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  fanatical  zeal, 
and  never  were  Indians  known  to  be  so  fierce  and 
brave.  Early  in  the  evening  the  Indians  held  a  coun 
cil  and  formed  a  plan.  The  Indian  chiefs  were  to 
meet  the  whites  in  council  the  next  day.  They  were 
to  agree  to  all  of  Harrison's  proposals.  They  were 
then  to  retire  a  short  distance  to  where  their  warriors 
were  to  be  stationed.  Two  Indians  were  to  remain 
behind  and  assassinate  the  governor.  To  this  pur 
pose  some  Winnebagoes  had  religiously  devoted  their 
lives.  The  battle  was  then  to  begin.  The  night  was 
dark  and  cloudy  ;  the  moon  did  not  rise  until  late,  and 
a  drizzling  rain  soon  set  in.  The  Indians  probably 
occupied  the  time  in  war  preparations,  and  in  the  ob 
servance  of  the  juggling  ceremonies  by  which  the 


THE   BATTLE  OF  TIPPECANOE.  221 


Prophet  so  well  succeeded  in  exciting  their  savage 
passions,  while  he,  at  the  very  summit  of  his  import 
ance,  doubtless  prophesied  and  boasted  as  usual.  It 
is  said  that  he  concocted  a  composition,  said  incanta 
tions  over,  and  then  told  his  followers  that  one-half 
of  Harrison's  army  was  now  dead,  and  that  the  other 
half  was  crazy,  and  it  would  be  a  small  matter  for  the 
Indians  to  finish  their  destruction  with  their  toma 
hawks.  During  this  dark  night  the  plan  was  changed, 
and  before  four  o'clock  the  whole  force  of  the 
Prophet's  braves  were  creeping  through  the  grass 
upon  the  sentinels  around  the  American  camp. 

Governor  Harrison  was  accustomed  to  arouse  his 
men  an  hour  before  daylight  and  keep  them  on  their 
guard  until  the  sun  rose.  On  the  morning  of  the 
7th  of  November  he  had  just  risen  and  was  pulling 
on  his  boots  before  a  camp-fire  and  conversing  with 
several  of  his  officers,  while  the  drummer  was  being 
roused  preparatory  to  calling  up  the  men.  Suddenly 
a  single  shot  was  heard,  followed  by  the  wild  Indian 
yell  which  was  the  nightmare  of  all  who  slept  in  the 
Indian  country.  A  sentinel  had  discovered  an  In 
dian  creeping  upon  him  and  had  fired.  Immedi 
ately  the  war-whoop  sounded  on  all  hands,  and  the 
whole  Tippecanoe  force,  commanded  by  White  Loon, 
Stone  Eater,  and  Winnemac,  the  Pottawatomie  chief 
who  had  professed  so  much  friendship  for  the  governor, 


222  TECUMSEH. 

was  upon  them  in  an  instant.  The  guard  gave  way  at 
the  point  of  attack,  but  the  men  who  had  been  sleep 
ing  on  their  arms  were  immediately  prepared  to  re 
ceive  the  Indians  bravely,  although  the  suddenness 
of  the  charge  was  sufficient  to  have  excited  a  panic. 
The  camp-fires  were  instantly  put  out,  in  order  that 
the  Indians  might  not  have  the  assistance  of  their 
light.  In  two  minutes  every  soldier  was  on  his  feet 
prepared  for  action ;  officers  hurried  to  their  posts, 
and  the  battle  soon  raged  on  all  sides.  The  Prophet, 
in  virtue  of  his  sacred  office,;  and  perhaps,  as  is  sug 
gested,  unwilling  "  to  attest  at  once  the  rival  powers 
of  a  sham  prophecy  and  a  real  American  bulle^"  did 
not  take  part  in  the  battle,  but  stationed  himself  on  a 
small  hill  near  at  hand  where  he  chanted  a  war-song, 
and  presided  like  an  evil  genius,  as  the  Indians  soon 
had  reason  to  think,  over  this  battle  in  the  darkness. 
With  characteristic  fanaticism  or  infatuation,  he  had 
prophesied  that  the  American  bullets  would  rebound 
harmless  from  the  bi  >dies  of  the  Indians,  and  that  they 
would  be  provided  with  light,  while  all  would  be 
"  thick  darkness "  to  their  enemies.  He  had  evi 
dently  heard  of  Moses  and  Pharaoh.  Both  parties 
were  embarrassed  by  the  terrible  darkness. 

Messengers  informed  the  Prophet  soon  after  the 
battle  began  that  his  followers  were  falling  in  the 
most  natural  way.  He  sent  back  orders  for  them  to 


THE   BATTLE  OF  TIPPECANOE.  22J 

persevere,  saying  that  his  prophecy  would  soon  be 
fulfilled.  His  wild,  inspiring  war-song  then  rose 
above  the  crack  of  firearms  and  the  Indian  war- 
whoop. 

The  Indians  made  use  of  deer  hoofs  instead  of 
drums  to  signal  an  advance  or  retreat ;  making  with 
them  certain  rattling  sounds.  Never  were  savages 
known  to  battle  more  desperately.  They  quite 
abandoned  their  practice  of  fighting  stealthily  and 
from  behind  shelter.  Under  the  influence  of  the 
fierce  fanaticism  in  which  they  had  so  long  been 
steeped,  they  braved  the  whites  in  open  battle,  rush 
ing  right  upon  their  bayonets.  They  were  also  stim 
ulated  by  the  superior  bravery  of  the  Winnebagoes 
who  were  among  them.  The  conflict  lasted  until 
shortly  after  daylight,  when  with  a  last  charge  the 
troops  succeeded  in  putting  the  Indians  to  flight 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
INCIDENTS  OF  THE  BATTLE. 

DURING  the  battle  Harrison  rode  from  one  side  of 
the  camp  to  another,  disposing  his  troops  and  con 
ducting  them  in  person  so  as  to  give  the  best  sup 
port  to  the  side  attacked.  He  was  begged  not  to 
expose  himself  so  much,  and  his  officers  even  took 
hold  of  his  bridle  rein  to  detain  him.  But  he  per 
sisted  in  being  where  the  fire  was  hottest,  and  his 
courage  and  coolness  did  much  to  keep  the  men 
steady  under  this  deadly  fire  in  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  and  in  the  ghastly  gray  dawning  of  that 
bloody  morning. 

At  one  time  Harrison  saw  an  ensign,  a  French 
man,  standing  behind  a  tree.  He  reproached  him 
with  cowardice,  and  told  him  he  ought  to  be  ashamed 
to  be  under  shelter  when  his  men  were  exposed. 
The  Frenchman,  when  the  battle  was  over,  com 
plained  bitterly.  "  I  was  not  behind  de  tree,"  he 
said;  "de  tree  was  before  me.  Dere  was  de  tree, 
here  was  my  position  ;  how  can  I  help  ?  I  cannot 
move  de  tree ;  I  cannot  leaf  my  position." 

Toward  the  close  of  the  action,  the  troops  in 


INCIDENTS  OF    THE  BATTLE.  22$ 

charging  passed  over  the  body  of  a  major  who  had 
been  killed.  He  was  lying  on  his  face ;  in  person 
and  uniform  he  was  much  like  the  governor,  and 
Harrison  having  been  seen  not  long  before  in  that 
part  of  the  field,  word  was  soon  passed  along  th<2 
line  that  the  governor  had  been  killed ;  but  a  min 
ute  later  the  men  saw  him  riding  down  the  front  of 
their  line  and  greeted  him  with  cheers  of  joy. 

And  indeed  Harrison  escaped  narrowly  several 
times.  It  was  part  of  the  plan  of  the  Indians  to  kill 
him  at  all  hazards.  Besides  the  conspiracy  to  slay 
him  treacherously  by  assassination  in  the  council  the 
next  day,  there  were  other  attempts  of  the  same 
kind.  While  the  troops  were  taking  position  for  the 
night,  three  Indians  were  reported  to  the  governor  as 
having  followed  them,  and  as  being  within  the  lines 
at  that  time.  Whether  they  came  only  as  spies,  or, 
as  is  more  likely,  to  kill  the  commander,  cannot  be 
known.  They  were  immediately  sent  back  to  the 
Prophet's  Town  with  a  message  to  the  Prophet  to 
return  to  the  governor  a  negro  who  had  deserted 
under  suspicious  circumstances. 

This  negro's  name  was  Ben.  He  was  employed  as 
bullock  driver  by  the  contractor.  While  the  troops 
were  passing  the  Indian  town  to  find  their  place  of 
encampment,  he  declared  that  he  was  not  afraid  to  go 

in.     Two  negroes  who  were  with  him  doubted  this, 

10* 


226  TECUMSEH. 

and  he  immediately  started  to  the  town,  whereupon 
two  Indians  came  out  and  conducted  him  in.     The 
governor  immediately  directed  the  interpreter  to  call 
the  Indians  and  tell  them  to  send  him  back.     This 
they  promised  to  do.     The  three  Indians  who  had 
followed  the  army  denied   that  they  knew  of  the 
negro's  having  gone  into  the  town,  but  said  that  he 
should  be  sent  out  as  soon  as  they  could  reach  the 
town.     But  Ben  did  not  appear  until  some  time  after 
dark,  when  a  Captain  Wilson  discovered  him  near  the 
tent  of  the   commander,    apparently   examining   its 
situation.     He  seized  him,  and  with  the  assistance  of 
others,  dragged  him  up  to  the  fire.     The  negro  said 
that  the  Indians  took  him  into  the  town  by  force,  and 
had  sent  him  back  on  the  return  of  the  three  Indians 
from  Harrison's  camp.     He  had  passed  the  sentinels 
without  being  challenged,  he  said,  and  had  come  to 
report  to  the  governor.     But  as  he  had  not  been  in 
the  quarters  of  the  contractor's  men,  and  had  not 
spoken  to  any  one  since  his  return,  it  seemed  clear 
that  he  was  acting  in  the  interest  of  the  Indians.     It 
is  probable  that  he  either  meant  to  slay  the  governor 
himself  in  the  battle,  or,  what  is  more  likely,  to  guide 
Indians  to  his  tent      Harrison  himself  says  that  this 
would  not  have  been  difficult  to  do.    Captain  Wilson 
remembered  seeing  him  throw  something  out  of  hib 
hand  when  he  was  seized.     He  went  to  the  place  and 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  BATTLE.  22? 

found  a  high  cap,  made  to  look  on  the  outside  like 
the  cap  of  a  grenadier.  Ben  said  that  an  Indian  had 
taken  away  his  hat  and  had  given  him  this  cap. 

Ben  was  secured  by  General  Wells  and  Colonel 
Owen,  who  were  old  Indian  fighters,  in  the  Indian 
manner,  they  not  having  any  handcuffs  to  put  on 
him.  He  was  thrown  on  his  back,  then  his  ankles 
were  inserted  in  notches  cut  in  a  split  log,  which  was 
then  closed  around  them  and  held  together  by  forks 
driven  over  the  log  into  the  ground ;  his  arms  were 
extended  and  tied  to  stakes.  He  was  sentenced  to 
death  for  desertion,  by  a  drum-head  court-martial, 
held  the  next  day,  and  the  sentence  was  approved 
by  the  general,  but  never  executed ;  for  as  the  poor 
negro  lay  in  his  uneasy  position  by  the  evening's 
fire,  he  kept  turning  his  eyes  imploringly  on  Harri 
son,  and  the  tender  heart  of  the  commander  was  so 
much  affected  that  he  could  not  afterward  give  the 
final  order  for  his  execution ;  but  he  got  together  all 
the  commissioned  officers,  and  told  them  they  should 
decide  the  negro's  fate.  Some  were  for  executing 
him;  and  he  would  no  doubt  have  been  shot  had  it 
not  been  for  Captain  Snelling,  who  pleaded  for  his  life. 
"  Brave  comrades,"  he  said,  "  let  us  save  him.  The 
wretch  deserves  to  die;  but  as  our  commander, 
whose  life  was  more  particularly  his  object,  is  will 
ing  to  spare  him,  let  us  also  forgive  him."  The 


TECUMSEH. 


negrc  was  discharged  when  the  troops  reached  Vin« 
cennes. 

Harrison  had  two  horses  :  the  one  on  which  he 
would  have  ridden  during  the  battle  was  white.  This 
white  mare  was  saddled  and  bridled  ready  for  mount 
ing.  In  the  night  she  pulled  up  the  picket  to  which 
she  was  tied  and  got  loose.  The  governor's  servant 
tied  her  to  the  wagon  wheel,  but  the  fellow  was 
so  "  confoundedly  frightened,"  to  use  Harrison's  ex 
pression,  that  he  could  not  remember,  when  the  bat 
tle  began,  where  he  had  put  her.  Major  Taylor  lent 
Harrison  his  horse  ;  and  one  of  Harrison's  aids,  who 
rode  a  remarkably  white  horse,  was  killed  before  they 
reached  the  point  first  attacked.  It  is  believed  that 
he  was  killed  by  one  or  two  Indians  who  had  entered 
the  lines,  and  who  mistook  him  for  the  governor. 

Harrison's  hat  rim  was  perforated,  and  his  hair 
grazed  by  a  ball  during  the  night. 

The  loss  in  killed  was  fifty,  including  those  who 
died  soon  after,  and  the  total  loss  was  one  hundred 
md  eighty-  eight  in  killed  and  wounded.  The  Indians 
left  thirty-eight  dead  upon  the  battle-field,  which  with 
those  they  carried  with  them  must  have  made  the 
loss  equal  to  that  on  the  American  side.  This  large 
loss  on  their  part  was  quite  surprising,  for  in  their 
ordinary  mode  of  fighting,  by  firing  from  lurking 
places  and  in  ambuscade,  it  is  not  possible  to  kilJ 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  BATTLE.  22$ 

many  Indians.  The  Indians  chewed  their  bullets  so 
as  to  make  a  lacerated  wound  ;  to  this  is  attributed 
the  large  proportion  of  the  wounded  who  died. 

Some  of  the  militia  evinced  great  daring.  One 
young  man,  finding  the  lock  of  his  gun  out  of  order, 
in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  his  comrades,  went  up 
to  the  fire,  and,  having  made  a  light,  remained  there 
until  he  had  fixed  it.  The  light  made  him  a  good 
target ;  a  great  number  of  shots  were  fired  at  him, 
but  he  escaped  unhurt.  A  Winnebago  chief  also 
went  up  to  a  fire  at  a  point  where  the  American  lines 
had  been  pushed  back.  He  sat  there  pecking  his 
flint,  but  a  rifle  ball  killed  him,  and  he  fell  forward 
into  the  fire.  We  are  sorry  to  have  to  say  that  a 
regular  soldier  went  out  to  scalp  him,  but  the  soldier 
being  a  New  Englander  did  not  understand  the  barba 
rous  practice.  He  was  a  long  time  accomplishing  his 
object,  and  when  he  returned  with  his  hideous  trophy 
he  brought  back  also  his  death- wound.  Though  the 
body  of  the  chief  lay  in  close  proximity  to  the  Amer 
ican  lines,  it  was  borne  off  by  the  Indians,  and  was 
afterward  found  in  the  town. 

The  battle  was  fought  in  the  early  morning  of  the 
7th.  The  whole  of  that  day  was  spent  in  caring  for 
the  wounded,  and  in  fortifying  the  angles  of  the  camp, 
The  soldiers  had  no  meat  this  day  but  broiled  horse* 
flesh. 


TECUMSEH. 


On  the  morning  of  the  8th,  General  Wells,  with 
the  dragoons  and  mounted  riflemen,  reconnoitered 
the  famous  town,  but  the  Prophet's  capital  was  de 
serted.  There  was  found  a  great  quantity  of  corn, 
which  was  most  acceptable  to  the  troops  ;  there  were 
also  hogs  and  some  domestic  fowl,  for  these  Indians 
were  somewhat  more  civilized  than  the  wild  bands  of 
the  plains  which  we  know  to-day.  The  pork  and 
fowls  were  kept  for  the  wounded.  The  town  had 
been  abandoned  in  a  panic;  all  household  uten 
sils  were  left,  and  many  arms,  some  of  which  were 
new  and  yet  wrapped  in  the  coverings  in  which 
they  had  been  imported. 

The  only  living  human  being  in  the  village  was  a 
chief  with  a  broken  leg.  The  General  and  his  men 
burned  the  Indian  houses,  destroyed  their  corn  and 
brass  kettles.  The  whites  dressed  the  wounds  of  the 
chief,  and  made  other  provision  for  him,  and  told  him 
to  say  to  the  Indians  that  if  they  would  leave  the 
Prophet  and  return  to  their  own  tribes  they  would 
be  forgiven. 

After  everything  which  the  army  needed  was 
taken,  the  brass  kettles  were  destroyed  and  the  town 
was  burned.  The  troops  slowly  returned,  greatly  en 
cumbered  with  their  wounded,  who  filled  all  the 
wagons.  The  governor  ordered  the  destruction  of 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  BATTLE.  231 

baggage,  and  set  his  officers  the  example  by  throw 
ing  all  his  camp  furniture  into  the  fire. 

Though  small  parties  of  Indians  appeared,  the 
troops  were  not  molested  on  their  return.  The 
Prophet's  influence  was  broken  forever,  and  in  Te- 
cumseh's  absence  there  was  none  to  rally  the  scat 
tered  savages. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

TECUMSEH'S    RETURN. 

GOVERNOR  HARRISON  did  not  strike  too  soon. 
A  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  Tecumseh 
returned,  to  find  his  town  destroyed,  his  followers 
scattered,  and  the  Prophet  in  disgrace.  Great  must 
have  been  his  disappointment  at  the  overthrow  of 
his  plans.  One  does  not  wonder  that  when  he  first 
met  his  disobedient  and  unwise  regent,  the  Prophet, 
he  reproached  him  with  severity  for  having  disre 
garded  his  command  to  keep  peace  with  the  United 
States  at  all  hazards.  The  Prophet  tried  to  excuse 
himself,  but  the  exasperated  Tecumseh  took  him  by 
the  hair  and  shook  him,  threatening  to  kill  him. 

Sudden  indeed  was  the  fall  of  Tenskwatawa,  and 
deep  his  disgrace.  On  returning  from  battle  the 
Indians  accused  him  of  being  a  murderer. 

"  You  are  a  liar,"  said  a  Winnebago  to  him,  "for 
you  told  us  that  the  white  people  were  dead  or 
crazy,  when  they  were  all  in  their  senses  and  fought 
like  the  devil." 

The  Prophet  answered  in  dejection,  that  there  had 
been  some  mistake  in  the  compounding  of  his  con- 


TECUMSEH'S  RETURN.  233 

coction.  The  Indians  bound  him  and  threatened  to 
take  his  life,  but  he  never  received  any  punishment 
at  their  hands,  although,  to  prove  their  peaceful  in 
tentions,  they  told  the  governor  many  stories  about 
what  they  meant  to  do  to  him.  He  lost  the  popu 
larity  which  his  position  as  a  prophet  and  wonder-; 
worker,  the  spiritual  superior  of  the  warrior  Tecumseh, 
and  the  defender  of  Indian  rights,  had  given  him,  and 
became  the  mere  Indian  boaster;  he  was  found  to 
be  like  ^isop's  braying  donkey  dressed  in  a  lion's 
skin. 

Tecumseh's  confederacy,  the  work  of  years  of 
peril  and  difficulty,  seemed  crushed  at  the  first  blow ; 
and  indeed  his  own  immediate  band  was  scattered 
and  his  headquarters  destroyed,  but  the  chief  had 
wide  influence  over  distant  tribes.  Though  his  plans 
were  defeated  and  his  combination  in  a  measure  de 
stroyed,  the  indefatigable  Tecumseh  still  persevered 
in  his  labor. 

After  leaving  the  scene  of  the  battle,  the  Indians 
had  gone  about  twenty  miles,  to  Wildcat  Creek. 
Here  most  of  them  dispersed,  going  to  the  villages 
of  their  different  tribes,  while  the  Winnebagoes  started 
for  their  northern  home.  The  Prophet  sent  a  mes 
sage  asking  to  be  allowed  to  go  back  to  his  town,  but 
the  governor  warned  him  not  to  return. 

On  the  22d  of  November,  the  annual  meeting  to 


234  TECUMSEH. 

distribute  annuities  to  the  Indians  was  held.  Chiefs 
and  representatives  from  the  Delaware,  Miami,  Pot- 
tawatomie,  and  Shawnee  nations  were  present,  while 
some  Indians  who  had  fought  in  the  battle  of  Tippe- 
canoe  boldly  came  and  asked  their  part  in  the  goods 
which  were  distributed.  They  said  that  the  Indians 
had  imprisoned  the  Prophet  and  intended  to  punish 
him  with  death.  They  succeeded  in  deceiving  the 
Indian  agent,  but  their  story  was  not  strictly  in  ac 
cordance  with  fact,  for  the  Prophet  was  at  the  time 
enjoying  his  liberty  at  the  village  of  Mississinewa. 
The  agent  made  a  speech  to  the  Indians,  saying  that 
the  President  wished  to  be  friendly  and  at  peace  with 
them,  and  would  pardon  them  if  they  desired.  The 
great  Black  Hoof  answered  that  they  all  wished  to  live 
in  peace  with  the  United  States.  In  this  the  Shaw- 
nees  and  most  of  the  Delawares  were  sincere,  but 
the  Pottawatomies  had  no  such  purpose.  The  aged 
Little  Turtle  of  the  Miamis  was  strongly  in  favor  of 
peace,  but  Tecumseh  had  much  more  influence 
among  them  than  he  did.  Their  chief  aim  now  was 
to  secure  their  annuities. 

Stone  Eater,  two  Winnebagoes,  a  Kickapoo,  and  a 
Piankishaw  made  their  appearance  at  Fort  Harrison 
before  Christmas,  and  delivered  a  very  contrite 
speech  to  the  commandant  They  wished  to  be 
allowed  to  go  to  Vincennes  and  visit  the  governor, 


TECUMSEH'S  RETURN.  235 

and  this  they  were  permitted  to  do.  Stone  Eater's 
story  was  that  the  Prophet  was  disgraced  and  had 
escaped  to  the  Hurons. 

In  the  winter  Governor  Harrison  was  visited  by 
numbers  of  repentant  Indians,  but  neither  Tecumseh 
nor  the  Prophet,  nor  indeed  any  of  the  most  hostile 
savages,  made  their  appearance. 

Little  Turtle  sent  Governor  Harrison  a  letter  in 
January,  1812,  in  which  he  said  that  the  Prophet 
was  deserted  by  all  his  band  with  the  exception  of 
two  camps  of  Shawnees  which  Tecumseh  had  just 
joined  with  but  eight  men. 

Soon  after  this  the  governor  received  a  message 
from  Tecumseh  saying  he  had  returned  from  the 
South  and  would  now  visit  the  President.  The  gov 
ernor  replied  with  a  permission  to  go  to  Washington, 
but  said  that  no  other  Indians  would  be  allowed  to 
go  with  him.  A  sense  of  pride  would  not  allow  this 
great  chief,  who  aimed  to  be  ruler  over  a  confederacy 
like  that  of  the  white  men,  to  visit  the  chief  of  the 
Seventeen  Fires  without  a  proper  retinue.  Tecum 
seh  refused  to  go,  and  this  was  the  last  of  his  inter 
course  with  Harrison. 

As  the  spring  of  1812  came  on,  the  frontier  was 
again  alarmed  by  Indian  depredations  and  murders. 

Governor  Harrison  sent  out  Major  Floyde  to  in 
duce  the  more  friendly  tribes  to  drive  off  the  Prophet 


236  TECUMSEH. 

and  other  disaffected  Indians.  This  had  some  effect, 
for  a  council  of  twelve  tribes  was  held  in  May  at  Mis- 
sissinewa,  in  which  Tecumseh  and  his  band  were 
iirst  mildly  reproved  by  the  Wyandots.  Tecumseh 
made  a  speech  in  answer  as  follows  : — 

"  ELDER  BROTHERS  :  We  have  listened  to  what 
you  have  said  to  us.  We  thank  the  Great  Spirit  for 
inclining  your  hearts  to  pity  us ;  we  now  pity  our 
selves.  Our  hearts  are  good — they  never  were  bad. 
Governor  Harrison  made  war  on  my  people  in  my 
absence ;  it  was  the  will  of  God  that  he  should  do  so. 
We  hope  it  will  please  God  that  the  white  people 
may  let  us  live  in  peace.  We  will  not  disturb  them, 
neither  have  we  done  it,  except  when  they  came  to 
our  village  with  the  intention  of  destroying  us.  We 
are  happy  to  state  to  our  brothers  present  that  the 
unfortunate  transaction  that  took  place  between  the 
white  people  and  a  few  of  our  young  men  at  our 
village,  has  been  settled  between  us  and  Governor 
Harrison ;  and  I  will  further  state  that  had  I  been  at 
home  there  would  have  been  no  bloodshed  at  that 
time. 

"  We  are  sorry  to  find  that  the  same  respect  has 
not  been  paid  to  the  agreement  between  us  and  Gov 
ernor  Harrison  by  our  brothers  the  Pottawatomies. 
However,  -*e  are  not  accountable  for  the  conduct  of 
thos2  over  r/hom  we  have  no  control.  Let  the  chiefs 


TECUMSEH'S  RETURN.  23; 

of  that  nation  exert  themselves  and  cause  their  war 
riors  to  behave  themselves,  as  we  have  and  will  con 
tinue  to  do  ours. 

"  Should  the  bad  acts  of  our  brothers  the  Potta- 
watomies  draw  on  us  the  ill-will  of  our  white  brothers, 
and  they  should  come  again  and  make  an  unpro 
voked  attack  on  us  at  our  village,  we  will  die  like 
men,  but  we  will  never  strike  the  first  blow." 

This  exasperated  the  Pottawatomies,  who  excused 
the  murders  which  had  been  committed  by  members 
of  their  tribe,  saying  they  were  due  to  the  influence 
of  the  Shawnee  Prophet,  and  were  committed  by 
young  men  over  whom  they  had  no  control.  They 
spoke  in  contemptuous  terms  of  the  "pretended 
Prophet"  Tecumseh  retorted  thus: — 

"  It  is  true,  we  have  endeavored  to  give  all  our 
brothers  good  advice,  and  if  they  have  not  listened 
to  it  we  are  sorry  for  it.  We  defy  a  living  creature 
to  say  we  ever  advised  any  one,  directly  or  indirectly, 
to  make  war  on  our  white  brothers.  It  has  constantly 
been  our  misfortune  to  have  our  views  misrepresented 
to  our  white  brethren ;  this  has  been  done  by  pre 
tended  chiefs  of  the  Pottawatomies  and  others,  that 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  selling  land  to  the  white 
people  that  did  not  belong  to  them " 

Here  the  Delawares  called  Tecumseh  to  order, 
saying :— 


238  TECUMSEH. 

"  We  have  not  met  at  this  place  to  listen  to  such 
words.  .  .  .  Our  white  brethren  are  on  their  feet, 
their  guns  in  their  hands  ;  there  is  no  time  for  us  to 
tell  each  other  you  have  done  this,  and  you  have 
done  that ;  if  there  was,  we  would  tell  the  Prophet 
that  both  red  and  white  people  had  felt  the  bad  effects 
of  his  counsels." 

The  Miamis  then  made  a  speech  in  which  they 
threw  all  the  blame  upon  the  other  tribes,  saying  :— 

"  We  hope  our  brothers,  the  Pottawatomies,  Shaw- 
nees,  Kickapoos,  and  Winnebagoes,  will  keep  their 
warriors  in  good  order,  and  teach  them  to  pay  more 
respect  to  their  women  and  children  than  they  have 
done  by  going  and  murdering  the  innocent  white 
people." 

The  Kickapoos  then  defended  themselves  in  a 
speech,  with  which  the  council  closed.  The  tone  of 
all  the  speeches  was  no  doubt  modified  by  the  pres 
ence  of  white  people. 

In  June,  Tecumseh  visited  Fort  Wayne,  where  he 
demanded  ammunition.  His  bearing  was  very 
haughty,  and  he  was  firm  in  his  old  opinions.  He 
evidently  felt  much  bitterness  toward  Harrison  for 
the  part  he  had  had  in  the  overthrow  of  Tippecanoe. 
The  agent  made  him  a  speech,  endeavoring  to  induce 
him  to  remain  at  peace  with  the  Americans,  but 
ammuaition  was  refused  him.  Tecumseh  said  that 


TECUMSEH'S  RETURN.  239 

he  would  not  be  denied  by  his  British  father,  and  to 
him  he  would  go.  He  remained  thoughtful  for  some 
time,  and  at  last  gave  a  war-whoop  and  left.  Tecum- 
seh  went  immediately  to  Maiden,  where  he  joined 
the  English. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

HULL'S    SURRENDER. 

THE  main  cause  of  dispute  between  England  and 
America  which  brought  about  the  war  of  1812,  was 
the  "  right  of  search  "  which  England  claimed  over 
American  vessels  —  that  is,  the  right  to  stop  and 
search  any  American  ship  on  the  high  seas.  Ever}' 
British  subject  found  in  the  crew  of  the  searched 
vessel  was  seized  and  impressed  into  the  English 
navy. 

The  people  of  the  United  States  were  divided  into 
two  parties.  The  war  party  still  nursed  the  bitterness 
of  the  Revolution ;  but  the  Federalists,  who  opposed 
war,  held  that  the  injuries  of  France  were  quite  as 
great  as  those  of  England.  And  indeed  the  country, 
new  and  poor,  was  in  no  condition  for  a  war  with 
Great  Britain,  and  President  Madison's  better  judg 
ment  was  against  it.  He,  however,  yielded  to  the 
dominant  public  sentiment,  which  was  for  war.  Eng 
land  was  at  the  time  engaged  in  a  severe  struggle 
with  Napoleon,  and  it  was  urged  by  those  who  ad 
vocated  war  that  the  acquisition  of  the  British  pos 
sessions  in  America  would  be  an  easy  thing.  Soms 


HULL'S  SURRENDER.  241 

concession  was  made  on  the  part  of  England,  but  too 
late,  and  in  the  month  of  June,  1812,  war  was  de 
clared. 

In  anticipation  of  this,  a  body  of  twelve  hundred 
militia  had  been  raised  in  Ohio  for  the  invasion  of 
Upper  Canada.  The  command  of  this  expedition 
was  given  to  General  Hull,  an  old  Revolutionary 
officer,  and  the  governor  of  Michigan  Territory. 
He  was  joined  at  Urbana  by  the  Fourth  Regiment, 
which  had  fought  with  Harrison  at  Tippecanoe. 
This,  with  the  militia  of  his  own  territory,  raised 
General  Hull's  force  to  about  eighteen  hundred. 
The  Indians  were  much  inclined  to  follow  Tecum- 
seh's  lead,  but  were  awe-struck  by  the  march  of 
so  large  a  force  as  that  under  Hull  toward  Brit 
ish  America.  He  arrived  at  Detroit,  and  soon  after 
crossed  into  Canada,  issuing  a  boastful  proclamation 
to  the  inhabitants,  offering  protection  to  those  who 
would  remain  quiet.  The  capture  of  Maiden,  weakly 
garrisoned,  was  now  open  to  General  Hull,  but  that 
incompetent  officer  delayed  undertaking  this  until 
he  should  have  fortified  his  camp  and  waited  for  his 
proclamation  to  take  effect 

Meanwhile  Tecumseh,  with  a  few  followers  at  Mai 
den,  was  actively  engaged  on  the  British  side.  On 
the  1 2th  of  June,  the  Prophet,  whom  the  chief  seems 
to  have  taken  into  favor  enough  to  use  in  any  way 

II 


24,2  TECUMSEH. 

he  could,  appeared  at  Fort  Wayne  with  about  a 
hundred  Winnebagoes  and  Kickapoos,  assuring  the 
agent  that  he  was  friendly.  Soon  after  he  received 
an  express  from  Tecumseh.  The  messenger  had 
stolen  a  horse  at  the  River  Raisin,  and  ridden  day 
and  night.  The  message  was  an  order  from  Tecum 
seh  to  unite  the  Indians  immediately,  and  send  the 
women  and  children  toward  the  Mississippi,  while 
the  warriors  struck  Vincennes.  Tecumseh  promised, 
if  he  lived,  to  meet  them  in  the  Winnebago  country. 
The  Prophet  sent  two  Kickapoos  on  stolen  hores  to 
rally  the  Indians.  He  then  went  sorrowfully  to  the 
agent  and  said  that  two  of  his  bad  young  men  were 
gone,  and  he  was  afraid  they  had  stolen  horses  from 
the  whites.  He  sent  two  Indians  on  foot  to  catch 
the  offenders. 

When  Hull  crossed  into  Canada,  Tecumseh  was 
at  Maiden  with  a  band  of  thirty  Shawnees  and 
Pottawatomies.  A  council  of  the  neutral  Indians 
was  held  at  Brownstown,  opposite  Maiden.  Tecum 
seh  was  invited  to  attend  this  council. 

"No,"  said  he;  "I  have  taken  sides  with  the 
King,  my  father,  and  I  will  suffer  my  bones  to  bleach 
upon  this  shore  before  I  will  recross  that  stream  to 
join  in  any  council  of  neutrality." 

A  small  detachment  sent  out  by  General  Hull  to 
escort  the  mail  and  meet  a  convoy  of  provisions 


HULL'S  SURRENDER.  243 

under  Major  Brush  at  the  River  Raisin  was  surprised 
by  about  seventy  Indians  and  forty  British  soldiers  in 
ambush.  The  detachment,  under  Major  Van  Home, 
retreated  with  considerable  loss.  This,  the  first  ac 
tion  in  the  war  of  1812,  was  commanded  on  the  part 
of  the  British  by  Tecumseh. 

Meanwhile  General  Hull  heard  of  the  surrender  of 
Fort  Michilimackinac  or  Mackinaw.  This  was  an 
important  post,  being  the  only  check  to  the  Indians 
of  the  upper  lake  region,  and  it  should  have  been 
well  garrisoned  by  the  United  States  government. 
But  through  some  astonishing  neglect,  such  as  was 
too  common  at  this  time,  the  garrison  was  weak,  and 
the  commandant  had  not  so  much  as  received  infor 
mation  of  the  declaration  of  war.  His  first  knowl 
edge  of  the  fact  was  the  attack  made  on  him  by  the 
English.  This  event  so  alarmed  the  old  American 
general,  Hull,  that  he  seems  to  have  lost  heart  and 
head,  and  to  have  abandoned  every  thought  of  often 
sive  operations.  It  had  a  very  stimulant  effect  upon 
Tecumseh,  however,  who  immediately  sent  messen 
gers  in  every  direction  to  the  Indians  with  the  news 
that  Mackinaw  had  fallen,  that  a  detachment  of 
Americans  had  been  defeated,  that  they  would  not 
attack  Maiden,  that  success  was  certain  on  the  part 
of  the  English,  and  if  the  braves  wished  to  share  in 
the  plunder  they  must  join  his  side  immediately. 


244  TECUMSEH. 

The  Indians,  ever  susceptible  to  the  influence  of  sue- 
cess,  and  especially  to  the  chance  for  spoils,  flocked 
to  Maiden,  and  Tecumseh  before  long  commanded  a 
body  of  seven  hundred  magnificent  warriors. 

It  is  related  in  the  life  of  the  famous  chief  Shaubena, 
that  he  and  his  band  of  Pottawatomies  were  prepar 
ing  to  go  on  the  winter  hunt  when  two  runners  from 
Tecumseh  arrived  at  his  village  on  the  Illinois  River. 
One  of  these  men  was  a  half-breed  and  the  other 
a  petty  chief.  They  bore  a  package  of  presents,  to  be 
distributed  principally  among  the  squaws.  These 
were  rings,  beads,  and  various  ornaments.  Tecum- 
seh  sent  the  wampum  to  Shaubena  with  an  invitation 
for  him  and  his  band  to  join  in  the  war  against  the 
United  States,  with  promise  of  large  pay.  Hunting 
was  abandoned,  and  Shaubena  with  twenty-two  w.ir- 
liors  started  for  Maiden.  Shaubena  became  Tecum- 
seh's  aid,  and  was  with  him  until  his  death. 

Meanwhile  General  Hull's  brave  men  were  in  a 
fever  to  attack  Maiden,  believing  it  could  yet  be 
taken.  A  "  round  robin  "  was  even  proposed  among 
the  dissatisfied  American  soldiers,  by  which  the  colo 
nels  were  requested  to  displace  their  weak  general 
and  put  the  next  officer  in  rank  in  his  place.  Great 
was  the  mortification  when  on  the  ;th  of  August  a 
retreat  from  Canada  was  ordered.  General  Hull, 
however,  sent  out  a  detachment  of  six  hundred  men 


HULL'S   SURRENDER.  24$ 

to  open  communication  with  Ohio  if  possible.  They 
came  upon  a  large  force  of  English  and  Indians 
under  Muir  and  Tecumseh.  behind  a  breastwork  of 
logs.  From  this  shelter  the  English  fired,  and  the 
American  commander  immediately  advanced  his 
whole  line,  fired  upon  the  enemy,  and  then  charged 
with  fixed  bayonets.  The  English  retreated;  the 
Indians  under  Tecumseh's  command  held  out  obsti 
nately,  but  were  nevertheless  driven  from  their  posi 
tion.  Tecumseh  and  the  British  commander,  Muir, 
were  both  wounded.  This  was  known  as  the  battle 
of  Brownstown.  About  this  time  Tecumseh  was 
made  a  brigadier-general  in  the  British  army.  It  is 
supposed  that  his  stubborn  bravery  at  Brownstown 
was  the  cause  of  his  appointment. 

Major- General  Brock,  a  brave  and  generous  gen 
tleman,  was  now  in  command  of  operations  at  Mai 
den.  He  was  as  much  honored  and  respected  by  the 
Americans  as  his  successor,  General  Proctor,  was 
aftenvards  despised.  General  Hull  sent  out  three 
hundred  and  fifty  men  on  the  I4th  of  August,  under 
Colonels  McArthur  and  Cass,  to  reach  the  convoy 
under  Captain  Brush. 

General  Brock,  after  holding  a  council  with  Te 
cumseh,  marched  to  Sandwich,  a  place  opposite  De 
troit  He  sent  a  summons  to  General  Hull  to  sur 
render.  This  was  refused.  General  Brock  asked 


246  TECUMSEH. 

Tecumseh  what  kind  of  a  country  they  must  pass 
through  if  they  crossed  to  the  American  side.  The 
chief  took  a  roll  of  elm  bark,  spread  it  on  the  ground, 
and  fastening  it  there  with  four  stones,  took  his 
scalping-knife  and  drew  a  map  of  the  country,  repre 
senting  its  hills  and  woods,  rivers,  swamps,  and  roads. 
When  the  troops  came  to  embark  for  crossing,  Te 
cumseh,  on  his  own  motion,  induced  the  Indians  to 
cross  first. 

The  American  army  had  been  impatient  for  a  de 
cisive  engagement  with  their  enemies.  This  the  timid 
policy  of  thdr  leader  had  denied  them.  The  soldiers 
were  now  anxious  at  least  to  do  something  worthy 
of  soldici  f,  in  defending  the  fort.  They  were  severely 
disappointed,  however,  for  soon  after  the  opening  of 
the  British  batteries,  on  the  i6th  of  August,  General 
Hull  surrendered,  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  all 
his  officers  and  men.  Many  of  the  men  shed  tears  on 
hearing  of  h,  and  threw  down  their  arms  in  rage. 

Colonel  Me  Arthur's  detachment  returned  soon 
after,  bein,-*  unable  to  reach  their  destination  for  want 
of  provisions,  and  having  had  nothing  to  eat  for  sev 
eral  dr.ys.  Great  was  their  astonishment  at  finding 
the  English  flag  flying  over  Detroit,  and  the  Indians 
engaged  In  killing  the  cattle  which  had  been  pro 
vided  for  the  American  army.  Colonel  McArthur 
and  his  associate  Colonel  Cacs,  seeing  no  hope  for 


HULL'S  SURRENDER.  247 

them  in  resistance,  sent  in  a  flag  of  truce.  When 
the  articles  of  capitulation  were  shown  to  them, 
Colonel  Cass,  afterward  eminent  in  American  history, 
thrust  his  sword  into  the  ground  with  indignant 
tears  and  broke  it  to  pieces. 

General  Brock  asked  Tecumseh  not  to  allowthe 
Indians  to  abuse  the  prisoners. 

"  No  !  "  answered  Tecumseh,  "  I  despise  them  too 
much  to  meddle  with  them." 

On  the  1 7th  of  August,  the  success  of  the  British, 
which  even  they  did  not  call  a  victory,  was  celebrated. 
They  had  recovered  at  this  surrender  some  British 
cannon  taken  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  These 
pieces  were  welcomed  with  joy  and  even  kisses  by 
the  British  officers.  The  recaptured  cannon  were 
fired  at  the  British  celebration,  and  their  fire  was 
answered  by  the  English  war  vessel  "  Queen  Char 
lotte,"  which  was  much  admired  by  the  Western 
soldiers,  being  the  first  they  had  seen.  Some  few 
months  after  this  celebration  General  Brock  was 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Queenstown,  and  the  American 
forts  fired  their  guns  during  his  funeral  in  token  of 
the  respect  which  they  felt  for  him.  But  the  be 
loved  brass  cannon  came  back  to  the  Americans  in 
the  battle  of  the  Thames,  and  the  "Queen  Charlotte" 
also  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans. 

General  Brock  had  been  so  pleased  with  Tecunv 


248  TECUMSEH. 

seh's  map-making,  and  with  his  boldness  in  causing 
the  Indians  to  cross  the  Detroit  River  first,  that  he 
took  off  his  sash  in  public  and  fastened  it  around  the 
body  of  the  great  chief.  Tecumseh  evinced  much 
pleasure.  But  the  English  commander  was  surprised 
to  see  him  without  the  sash  the  next  day.  General 
Brock,  afraid  that  the  chief  was  offended  for  some 
reason,  sent  his  interpreter  to  ask  why  he  did  not 
wear  the  sash.  The  shrewd  and  politic  Tecumseh, 
knowing  well  the  Indian  love  for  display  and  the 
tendency  in  human  nature  to  jealousy,  had  trans 
ferred  the  mark  of  honor  to  the  Wyandot  chief, 
Roundhead,  who,  as  he  told  the  interpreter,  was  an 
older  and  abler  warrior  than  himself. 

Colonel  Hatch,  one  of  the  officers  in  General  Hull's 
army,  describes  Tecumseh's  appearance  at  the  time 
of  the  surrender  of  Detroit.  He  says  that  he  was 
about  five  feet  nine  inches  in  height,  had  an  oval  face, 
a  straight  and  handsome  nose,  and  a  beautiful  mouth, 
"  like  that  of  Napoleon  I.  as  represented  in  his  por 
traits."  He  makes  the  curious  statement,  which  we 
have  seen  nowhere  else,  that  Tecumseh's  eyes  were 
lazel,  being  clear  and  pleasant  when  in  conversation, 
but  "  like  balls  of  fire"  when  he  was  excited  by  anger 
or  enthusiasm.  His  teeth  were  very  white,  and  his 
complex  ion  light — more  brown  than  red.  This  com 
plexion,  Colonel  Hatch  asserts,  was  a  cl*Arav:teristic 


HULL'S  SURRENDER.  249 

of  the  whole  Shawnee  tribe.  He  was  in  the  prime 
of  life,  straight  and  finely  formed. 

The  same  writer  describes  the  modest  costume  in 
which  Tecumseh  always  appeared.  It  was  made  en 
tirely  of  the  Indian-tanned  buckskin,  and  consisted 
of  a  hunting  shirt,  perfect  in  fit,  which  descended  to 
his  knees ;  short  pantaloons,  and  neatly  fitting  leg- 
gins  and  moccasins.  This  costume  was  finished 
with  a  cape  and  belt,  with  a  mantle  of  the  skin 
thrown  over  his  left  shoulder,  which  mantle  served 
as  a  blanket.  The  edges  of  his  cape  and  shirt  were 
trimmed  with  a  leather  fringe,  which  also  served  as  a 
finish  around  his  neck.  In  his  belt  were  his  side 
arms,  a  silver- mounted  tomahawk,  and  a  knife  in  a 
leather  sheath.  "  Such  was  his  dress,"  says  this  offi 
cer,  "when  I  last  saw  him  on  the  i^th  of  August, 
1812,  on  the  streets  of  Detroit,  mutually  exchang 
ing  tokens  of  recognition  as  former  acquaintances  in 
years  of  peace,  and  passing  on,  he  to  see  that  his 
Indians  had  all  crossed  to  Maiden  as  commanded, 
and  to  counsel  with  his  white  allies  in  regard  to  the 
next  movement  of  the  now  really  commenced  war 
of  1812." 

Thus  ended  Hull's  expedition  into  Upper  Canada, 
For  his  conduct  he  has  been  very  severely  censured, 
and  he  was,  no  doubt,  inefficient  and  cowardly.  The 

only  extenuations  of  his  offence  were  his  advanced 

II* 


2  SO  TECUMSEH. 

age  and  the  failure  of  the  government  to  support 
him  properly.  Though  Hull  might,  as  is  believed, 
easily  have  taken  Maiden  and  secured  other  suc 
cesses  to  the  American  arms,  Upper  Canada  could 
not  have  been  taken  and  held  unless  the  command 
of  Lake  Erie  had  been  obtained  by  means  of  a  fleet 
The  old  general  was  tried  two  years  later  by  a  court- 
martial,  on  charges  of  cowardice  and  treason.  He 
was  found  guilty  of  the  former  offence  and  sentenced 
to  be  shot,  but  was  pardoned  by  the  President,  in 
consideration  of  his  age  and  Revolutionary  service. 
By  the  failure  of  this  badly  planned  and  wretch 
edly  conducted  campaign,  the  settlements  were  left 
exposed  to  the  ravages  of  hordes  of  Indians  ever 
ready  to  join  the  victorious  side. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

SIEGES  AND  BATTLES  AT  THE  WESTERN 
FORTS. 

FORT  DEARBORN,  or  Chicago,  then  a  lonely  post 
in  the  wide  wilderness,  was  surrounded  by  bands  of 
rottawatomies  and  Winnebagoes.  Tecumseh  had^ 
been  endeavoring  to  induce  these  Indians  to  join  the 
English.  They  wavered,  however,  and  were  waiting 
to  see  which  side  bade  fair  to  be  successful.  General 
Hull,  on  hearing  of  the  surrender  of  Fort  Mackinaw, 
ordered  the  garrison  at  Chicago  to  dismantle  the  fort 
and  abandon  it.  A  number  of  Miami  Indians  were 
sent  to  protect  the  retreating  party.  Meanwhile, 
though  presents  were  made  to  the  Indians  of  the 
goods  of  the  posts,  one  of  the  chiefs,  Black  Part 
ridge,  said,  "  leaden  birds  had  been  singing  in  his 
ears."  The  evening  before  the  fort  was  evacuated  a 
runner  arrived  from  Tecumseh  telling  the  Indians  of 
his  victory  over  Major  Van  Home's  party,  of  the  re 
treat  of  General  Hull  to  Detroit,  and  of  the  proba 
bility  of  the  success  of  the  English.  This  news  of 
success  decided  the  Indians,  as  Tecumseh  expected, 
to  join  the  British  standard,  and  they  commenced 


2$  2  TECUMSEH. 

operations  by  attacking  the  party  of  seventy  men, 
women,  and  children,  which  was  making  its  way  out 
of  Fort  Dearborn.  The  Miamis  who  had  undertaken 
its  protection,  being  Indians,  now  began  to  feel 
strong  inclinations  towards  the  winning  side.  They 
refused  to  defend  the  whites  and  soon  went  over  to 
the  hostile  Indians.  The  little  garrison,  attacked  af 
ter  it  had  left  the  fort,  and  knowing  that  there  was 
no  escape,  fought  bravely,  and  did  not  surrender 
until  there  were  but  few  left  alive.  An  Indian 
threatened  to  tomahawk  the  commander's  wife,  Mrs. 
Heald,  who  was  already  wounded.  A  quick-witted 
frontier  woman,  she  understood  Indian  nature. 
Calmly  looking  the  savage  full  in  the  face,  she  smiled 
and  said,  "  Surely  you  will  not  kill  a  squaw."  The 
Indian  whom  tears  and  cries  would  not  have  touched, 
dropped  his  tomahawk  at  a  bit  of  ridicule.  The  fate 
of  the  prisoners  was  not  yet  decided,  however.  In 
the  evening  a  council  was  held,  and  it  was  concluded 
to  deliver  them  to  the  English  commander  at  Detroit, 
as  they  had  agreed  to  do  on  the  surrender  of  the 
survivors.  Many  warriors  from  a  distance  had 
arrived,  however,  and  they  v/ere  determined  on 
further  massacre.  The  chief  Shaul/ena  and  a  num 
ber  of  other  Indians  were  on  the  porch  of  the  house 
which  contained  some  of  the  prisoners,  standing 
guard  with  their  rifles  crossing  the  doorway.  The 


, 

'AT  FORT  DEARBORN.  253 

hostile  Indians  outnumbered  them,  however,  and 
rushed  past  them  into  the  house.  The  parlor  and 
sitting-room  were  soon  filled  with  these  painted 
savages  with  their  tomahawks  and  scalping-knives, 
waiting  the  signal  of  the  chief.  Meanwhile  the  wo 
men  and  children  sat  in  the  little  bedroom  weeping. 
Black  Partridge  said  to  them,  "  We  have  done  every 
thing  in  our  power  to  save  you,  but  now  all  is  lost; 
you  and  your  friends  at  the  camp  will  be  slain." 

At  this  moment  a  loud  war-whoop  was  heard. 
Black  Partridge  ran  to  the  river,  where  he  called  out 
to  the  approaching  canoe, 

"  Who  are  you,  friend  or  foe  ?  " 

A  tall  Indian  stood  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  his 
head  surmounted  with  eagle  feathers  and  his  rifle  in 
his  hand.  As  the  boat  touched  shore,  he  sprang  out, 
saying,  "  I  am  Shauganash." 

"  Then  hasten  to  the  house,"  said  Black  Partridge, 
"  for  our  friends  are  in  danger,  and  you  alone  can 
save  them." 

Billy  Caldwell,  as  Shauganash  was  commonly  call 
ed,  ran  to  the  house,  and  by  dint  of  threatening  and 
entreating  prevented  the  massacre.  After  much  suf 
fering  the  little  body  of  survivors  reached  civilization 
in  safety. 

Great  was  the  disappointment  of  the  war  party  in 
the  United  States,  aggravated  by  the  taunts  of  the 


254  TECUMSEH. 

opposition  at  the  loss  of  all  the  outermost  frontier 
posts  in  the  North- West,  and  the  utter  defection  of 
almost  all  the  Indian  tribes  to  the  English  side.  The 
aged  Miami  chief,  Little  Turtle,  who  had  been  so 
steadfast  a  friend  of  the  whites,  was  dead,  and 
there  was  nothing  to  check  the  tendency  of  the  Mi- 
amis  to  join  the  rest  under  the  victorious  lead  of  Te- 
cumseh,  who  seemed  now  in  a  fair  way  to  retrieve 
the  fortunes  of  his  confederacy,  and  to  annihilate  the 
settlements  in  the  North-West,  so  that  he  could  re 
establish  "  the  old  line  of  the  Ohio  River."  Fort 
Wayne  and  Fort  Harrison  were  the  chief  obstacles. 
It  was  accordingly  planned  to  have  Fort  Wayne  cap 
tured  by  the  Pottawatomies  and  Ottawas,  aided  by 
Tecumseh  and  the  English,  while  Fort  Harrison  was 
to  be  captured  by  Miamis  and  Winnebagoes. 

Tecumseh  was  at  Maiden  making  preparations  to 
set  out  in  September  to  assist  in  this  enterprise. 

Meanwhile,  recruits  were  enlisting  with  great  en 
thusiasm  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  The  Kentucky 
troops  insisted  that  Governor  Harrison  should  com 
mand  them.  Contrary  to  law,  Harrison  not  being 
a  citizen  of  Kentucky,  he  was  appointed  brevet  major- 
general  in  the  militia  of  that  State. 

Early  in  September  Fort  Wayne  was  closely  in 
vested  by  the  neighboring  Indians.  It  was  built  of 
wood,  and  its  garrison  numbered  about  seventy  mea 


AT  FORT  WAYNE.  255 

Some  Ohio  troops  who  had  been  sent  to  the  relief  of 
Detroit  before  its  loss  was  known,  had  been  ordered  to 
Fort  Wayne,  but  having  enlisted  for  the  conquest  of 
Upper  Canada,  they  were  disheartened  at  Hull's  sur 
render,  and  showed  no  spirit  in  endeavoring  to  get 
to  Fort  Wayne.  A  young  man  by  the  name  of 
Oliver,  who  lived  at  Fort  Wayne,  was  on  his  way  to 
that  place  when  he  heard  of  the  siege.  He  immedi 
ately  joined  the  Ohio  militia,  but  seeing  no  chance  of 
reaching  the  fort  in  time  to  do  any  good  at  the  pace 
at  which  they  were  advancing,  he  returned  to  Cin 
cinnati,  where  he  informed  General  Harrison  of  the 
siege  of  Fort  Wayne.  The  general  promised  him 
that  he  would  immediately  march  to  its  relief.  Oliver 
then  returned  and  overtook  the  Ohio  troops. 

Thomas  Worthington,  an  Indian  commissioner, 
and  Oliver,  resolved  to  try  to  communicate  with  the 
garrison  of  the  besieged  fort  They  persuaded  sixty- 
eight  of  the  soldiers  and  sixteen  Shawnees  to  go  with 
them.  Among  these  Indians  was  the  Shawnee 
Logan,  the  story  of  whose  early  life  we  have  already 
given.  Previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  Te- 
cumseh  had  sat  by  the  camp-fire  with  him  all  of  one 
night  trying  to  persuade  him  to  join  the  British  in  the 
coining  struggle,  while  Logan  on  his  part  tried  to  in 
duce  Tecumseh  to  side  with  the  Americans. 

On  the  second  day  of  the  journey,  thirty -six  of  the 


TECUMSEH. 


relief  party  returned  to  the  army.  Not  being  strong 
enough  to  risk  a  fight  with  the  Indians,  the  re 
mainder  stopped  within  twenty-four  miles  of  the  fort, 
while  Mr.  Oliver,  with  the  Indians,  Logan,  Captain 
Johnny,  and  Bright  Horn,  endeavored  to  reach  the 
garrison.  Within  five  miles  of  the  fort,  Logan  dis 
covered  that  there  were  holes  dug  along  the  roadside. 
These  were  used  by  the  Indians  in  night  watching, 
each  hole  being  large  enough  to  hold  a  man.  Lo 
gan's  party  therefore  left  the  road,  and  by  another 
route  rode  to  within  half  a  mile  of  Fort  Wayne. 
They  then  reconnoitered  to  see  whether  whites  or 
Indians  were  in  possession  of  the  fort,  and  having 
discovered  that  it  had  not  yet  been  surrendered, 
they  rode  rapidly  toward  it. 

Meanwhile  the  hostile  Indian  chiefs  had  devised 
I  a  plan  for  taking  the  fort  by  stratagem  During 
a  truce  of  some  days  they  had  perhaps  discovered 
that  the  officer  in  command,  Captain  Rhea,  was  often 
intoxicated  and  unfit  for  the  position.  They  gathered 
the  warriors  into  a  semicircle  on  two  sides  of  the 
fort,  while  five  of  the  chiefs,  with  knives  and  pistols 
hidden  beneath  their  blankets,  started  out  for  the  fort, 
bearing  a  flag  of  truce.  These  were  to  hold  a  council 
with  the  officers  for  the  pretended  purpose  of  treat 
ing  with  them.  They  would  then  assassinate  all  the 
officers,  with  the  exception  of  Rhea,  whom  they 


AT  FORT  WAYNE.  257 

believed  they  could  induce  to  open  the  gates  to 
save  his  own  life.  In  consequence  of  the  drawing 
off  of  the  savages  for  this  maneuver,  Oliver  and 
his  companions  found  no  resistance  on  the  side  of 
the  fort  by  which  they  approached.  Finding  one 
gate  locked  they  went  on  to  the  next  On  pass 
ing  around  an  angle  of  the  fort  they  came  face  to 
face  with  the  five  chiefs,  among  whom  were  Win- 
nemac  and  Five  Medals,  bearing  their  white  flag. 
The  two  parties  shook  hands,  but  the  chiefs  were 
decidedly  startled  by  this  sudden  appearance,  which 
meant,  they  did  not  doubt,  that  a  large  force  was 
near  at  hand.  Winnemac  turned  and  went  back  to 
his  camp.  His  companions,  however,  entered  the 
fort,  where  they  were  told  that  Oliver,  Logan,  and 
the  two  Indians  had  come  to  stay.  They  had  in 
deed  arrived  at  an  opportune  moment — an  hour 
later  would  have  been  too  late ;  and  for  many  days 
previous  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  reach  the 
garrison  through  the  Indian  ranks. 

Mr.  Oliver  now  wrote  a  hurried  despatch  to  Worth- 
ington,  and  the  bravt  Logan  and  his  men,  with  new 
rifles,  prepared  for  fresh  perils.  They  took  the  letter 
and  started  from  the  gate  of  the  fort  They  were 
immediately  seen  by  the  savages,  who  pursued  the 
flying  scouts.  The  race  was  eagerly  watched  by  the 
garrison.  As  they  crossed  the  enemy's  line  in  safety 


2  $8  TECUMSEH. 

Logan  gave  a  triumphant  shout,  which  reached   the 
cars  of  the  anxious  soldiers  in  the  fort. 

The  scouts  delivered  the  letter  to  Worthington, 
but  still  the  troops  delayed  their  march.  Meanwhile 
the  Indians,  encouraged  at  seeing  no  force  coming, 
and  hoping  for  the  arrival  of  Tecumseh,  kept  up  a 
constant  fire.  Several  times  the  wooden  fort  was  in 
flames  from  burning  arrows.  The  garrison  was 
watchful,  however,  and  succeeded  in  extinguishing 
the  fire.  The  garrison  saw,  at  one  time,  that  the 
besiegers  were  preparing  for  some  extraordinary  ef 
fort.  The  Indians  managed  at  length  to  get  pos 
session  of  a  trading-house  near  the  fort.  From  this 
they  informed  the  garrison  that  they  had  been  re 
inforced  with  British  cannon  and  artillerists,  and 
\  demanded  a  surrender,  promising  to  protect  the 
garrison,  but  threatening  a  massacre  if  they  were 
forced  to  storm  the  works.  This  demand  was  refused, 
and  the  garrison  prepared  for  the  utmost  resistance. 
The  commander  having  been  suspended  for  incapa 
city,  Lieutenant  Curtis  directed  the  defence.  Every 
man  able  to  do  duty  was  furnished  with  several 
stands  of  loaded  arms,  arms  being  more  abundant 
than  men.  They  were  ordered  not  to  fire  until  the 
Indians  were  close  upon  the  fort,  and  then  to  use 
their  guns  in  rapid  succession.  This  fierce  fire 
forced  the  Indians  to  retreat  within,  twenty  minutes 


AT  FORT  HARRISON.  259 

with  a  loss  of  eighteen  warriors.  The  boasted  can 
non  burst — one  on  the  first,  the  other  on  the  second 
fire.  They  had  been  made  of  wood  and  hooped 
with  iron  by  some  ingenious  English  traders. 

Governor  Harrison  overtook  the  sluggish  troops 
inarching  for  Fort  Wayne,  and  reached  the  belea 
guered  garrison  on  the  I2th  of  September,  two  days 
before  Tecumseh  started  from  Maiden  to  the  assist 
ance  of  his  warriors.  The  Indians  gathered  together 
in  a  swamp  five  miles  from  the  fort  the  day  before 
Harrison's  arrival,  to  give  him  battle.  They  discov 
ered  by  means  of  scouts  that  his  force  was  too  large 
for  them,  however,  and  after  building  great  fires  that 
the  garrison  at  the  fort  might  think  a  battle  was 
raging,  from  the  clouds  of  smoke,  they  fled  by  the 
fort  in  great  disorder,  acting  the  part  of  a  "  defeated 
force."  By  this  means  they  designed  to  draw  out 
the  garrison  in  pursuit  Failing  in  this,  their  final 

•«**i 

ruse,  they  raised  the  siege  at  Fort  Wayne. 

Tecumseh's  plan  did  not  succeed  better  at  Fort 
Harrison.  This  place  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Zachary  Taylor,  afterwards  the  hero  of  Buena  Vista, 
in  the  Mexican  War,  and  the  twelfth  President  of  the 
United  States.  His  garrison  consisted  of  about  fifty 
men,  one-third  of  whom  were  sick.  On  the  3d  of 
September  a  body  of  Kickapoo  and  Winnebago  In 
dians,  with  their  v/omen  and  children,  came  to  Fort 


260  TECUMSEH. 

Harrison.  They  requested  to  be  admitted,  saying 
they  wished  to  hold  a  council  and  were  under  great 
necessity  for  want  of  provisions.  Two  young  men 
had  been  killed  the  evening  before  near  the  fort,  and 
Captain  Taylor  was  decidedly  suspicious  of  these 
Indians.  He  gave  them  food,  but  refused  to  open 
the  gates  of  the  fort  to  them.  They  lingered  around, 
protesting  their  friendliness,  until  the  next  day,  when 
they  suddenly  set  fire  to  one  of  the  block-houses 
which  composed  the  line  of  the  fort.  At  the  same 
time  a  large  band  of  Indians,  who  had  previous  to 
this  been  in  ambush,  opened  a  rapid  fire  on  the 
burning  block- house,  and  through  the  gap  which  it 
left  into  the  fort  The  garrison  answered  vigorously. 
The  fort  was  now  in  great  danger  from  the  breach 
which  the  burning  house  would  leave  in  the  fortifica 
tions.  Captain  Taylor,  however,  pulled  down  a 
c^bin,  with  which  he  made  a  breastwork  over  the 
opening.  The  Indians  charged  desperately  several 
times,  trying  to  fire  the  other  buildings  and  to  get 
over  the  breastwork,  but  they  were  bravely  repulsed 
at  every  point  by  the  little  garrison.  So  inevita 
ble,  however,  seemed  death  by  fire  or  the  toma 
hawk  to  those  who  remained  inside,  that  two  men 
tried  to  escape  at  the  breach  to  the  hostile  Indians. 
One  was  killed,  and  the  other,  wounded  by  the  In 
dians,  retreated  to  the  fort,  where  he  concealed  him 


AT  FORT  HARRISON.  26 1 

self  behind  some  barrels    until    morning,  when   he 
could  be  readmitted. 

The  Indians  hovered  around  the  fort  for  seven 
or  eight  days,  but  could  gain  nothing.  Taylor  im 
mediately  repaired  the  fortifications  as  best  he  could, 
and  put  things  in  readiness  for  a  siege.  The  breach 
produced  by  the  burning  of  the  house  subjected  the 
garrison  to  more  than  one  danger.  It  had  contained 
the  provisions  of  the  fort,  and  the  men  seemed  now 
likely  to  starve.  They  lived  on  some  corn  that  had 
been  cultivated  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  fort  for 
several  days.  Captain  Taylor  at  last  succeeded  in 
sending  a  messenger  through  the  Indian  lines  in  the 
night.  The  savages  were  much  exasperated  by  their 
failure  to  take  Fort  Harrison,  and  a  large  body  of 
them  attacked  the  settlements  at  Pigeon  Roost,  a 
branch  of  White  River.  Here,  with  an  inventive 
brutality  known  only  to  Indians,  they  massacred 
twenty-one  men,  women,  and  children. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

INCIDENTS  OF  THE  WAR— HAND  TO   HAND 
ENCOUNTER,  AND  DEATH  OF  LOGAN. 

WHILE  the  army,  from  which  so  much  had  been 
expected,  was  unfortunate,  the  little  United  States 
navy,  to  which  no  one  looked  for  success,  had  gained 
several  victories  on  the  sea.  An  American  frigate, 
the  Constitution,  commanded  by  Captain  Hull,  a 
n?phew  of  the  general,  and  a  brave  man,  took  the 
British  frigate  Guerriere,  while  other  important  victo 
ries  were  gained  on  the  part  of  the  United  States 
vessels.  The  Americans  were  quite  as  much  sur 
prised  at  this  as  were  the  English,  who  had  beaten 
every  other  nation  into  acknowledging  England's  su 
premacy  on  the  seas. 

Meanwhile,  General  Van  Rensselaer  was  defeated 
on  the  New  York  frontier  at  Queenstown  in  October, 
and  nothing  was  accomplished  there  during  the 
whole  winter. 

Ignorant  of  the  wishes  of  the  Kentucky  volunteers 
and  the  plans  and  promises  already  made  for  them, 
the  government  appointed  another  old  Revolutionary 
officer,  General  Winchester,  to  the  command  of  the 


INCIDENTS  CF  THE  WAR.  263 

army  in  the  West  The  soldiers  were  much  dissatis 
fied,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  Governor  Harri 
son  succeeded  in  persuading  them  to  accept  the 
strange  general,  when  he  overtook  them  at  Fort 
Wayne.  Harrison  immediately  returned  to  Piqua, 
where  he  undertook  to  organize  a  body  of  volunteers, 
to  make  an  attack  on  Detroit.  The  government, 
however,  on  hearing  of  the  previous  arrangements  of 
the  volunteers,  gave  Harrison  the  chief  command, 
while  that  of  the  left  wing  was  given  to  Winchester. 
General  Harrison  busied  himself  in  pushing  forward 
provisions  preparatory  to  the  retaking  of  Detroit. 
An  expedition  under  General  Hopkins  against  some 
Kickapoo  villages  entirely  failed,  on  account  of  the 
incompetence  of  the  guides,  a  deficiency  in  the  food 
supplies,  and  the  insubordination  of  the  troops. 
Some  Indian  towns  above  Peoria  were  destroyed, 
however,  by  Governor  Edwards  of  the  Illinois  Terri 
tory,  with  whom  Hopkins  was  to  have  co-operated. 
General  Hopkins  conducted  another  expedition 
against  the  Indian  towns  on  the  Wabash.  They  suc 
ceeded  in  destroying  several  of  these  from  which  the 
Indians  had  fled,  and  among  them  the  Prophet's  Town, 
on  the  ruins  of  which  forty  cabins  had  been  built 

Meanwhile  Harrison  could  accomplish  but  little 
on  account  of  the  mud,  which  made  it  impossible  to 
forward  provisions  and  artillery  for  his  expedition, 


264  TECUMSEH. 

The  Shawnee  Logan  was  acting  the  part  of  scout, 
and  did  great  service  to  his  American  friends.  In 
November,  1812,  General  Harrison  told  him  to  re- 
connoiter  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Rapids  of  the 
Maumee.  Logan  took  with  him  his  old  comrades  in 
danger,  Captain  Johnny  and  Bright  Horn.  They  were 
pursued  by  a  body  of  the  enemy,  and  made  their 
escape  with  difficulty  to  the  wing  of  the  army  under 
command  of  General  Winchester.  Logan  reported 
to  this  officer  his  discoveries.  He  was  accused  at 
this  time  by  some  persons  in  the  army  of  treachery. 
This  suspicion  of  his  fidelity  to  the  American  cause 
so  hurt  the  feelings  of  the  faithful  Indian  that  he  re 
solved  to  wipe  it  away.  He  visited  the  camp  of  his 
friend  Oliver,  and  informed  him  of  his  intention. 
He  consequently  started  down  the  Maumee  with  his 
inseparable  companions,  Captain  Johnny  and  Bright 
Horn.  They  were  surprised  at  noon  by  a  party  of 
Indians,  among  whom  was  the  treacherous  chief 
Winnemac.  Logan,  with  quick  presence  of  mind, 
boldly  offered  his  hand  to  Winnemac,  who  knew 
him  well,  saying  that  he  was  just  going  to  the  British 
to  give  information.  Winnemac,  however,  was  too 
much  of  an  Indian  himself  to  be  entirely  deceived 
by  this  stratagem.  They  took  away  the  arms  of 
Logan  and  his  companions,  and  guarded  them  care 
fully  while  they  marched  toward  the  British  fort  at 


DEATH  OF  LOGAN.  265 

the  Rapids.  Logan,  after  a  time,  succeeded  in  im 
pressing  the  Indians  with  the  idea  that  he  was  sin 
cere  in  his  declaration  that  he  had  deserted  the 
American  cause.  Winnemac  restored  to  the  cap 
tives  their  arms,  but  the  Indians  still  kept  a  close 
watch  upon  them.  Logan  now  resolved  to  brave 
his  captors  in  a  fight.  This  idea  he  managed  to  com 
municate  to  Captain  Johnny  and  Bright  Horn  as  they 
marched  along.  In  order  to  reload  their  arms 
quickly  they  stealthily  put  bullets  in  their  mouths. 
Captain  Johnny  afterward  said  that,  seeing  the  man 
at  his  side  noticed  the  motion,  he  calmly  remarked, 
"  Me  chaw  heap  tobac." 

When  night  came  on  the  Indians  encamped,  some 
of  them  going  off  in  search  of  black  haws,  a  delicate 
little  fruit  much  esteemed  in  Indiana.  As  soon  as 
they  were  out  of  sight  Logan  and  his  men  opened 
the  attack.  They  killed  three  of  the  Indians  im 
mediately.  Their  fire  was  returned  by  the  remain 
der  of  the  party,  who  were  near  at  hand,  and  both 
parties  treed.  Logan  now  received  a  mortal  wound 
Bright  Horn  was  also  wounded,  and  they  mounted 
two  of  the  enemy's  horses,  and,  after  fatally  wound 
ing  two  other  Indians,  they  started  for  General  Win 
chester's  camp,  twenty- five  miles  away,  leaving  Cap 
tain  Johnny  to  follow  on  foot  This  party  of  three 
had  kiiied  five  out  of  six  or  seven  of  the  enemy, 

12 


266  TECUMSEH. 

among1  whom  was  the  chief,  Winnemac.  Logaii 
paid  dearly  for  his  honors,  but  it  was  no  doubt  a 
great  pleasure  to  him  that  he  had  vindicated  himself. 
Those  who  had  made  the  charge  against  him  deeply 
repented  it,  and  he  was  the  idol  of  the  camp  during 
the  two  days  that  he  lived  in  great  suffering.  Before 
his  death  he  was  seen  to  smile  in  spite  of  his  pain. 
He  was  asked  what  he  was  smiling  at.  Indian- like, 
he  answered  that  he  could  not  help  laughing  when 
he  thought  of  the  way  in  which  Bright  Horn  took 
the  scalp  of  the  dead  Winnemac,  while  he  kept  his 
eye  on  the  movements  of  the  enemy  at  the  same 
time; 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  MISSISSINEWA  VILLAGES-BAT 
TLE  AND  MASSACRE  ON  THE  RIVER  RAISIN. 

IN  December  General  Harrison  sent  out  an  expe 
dition  against  the  Miami  villages  on  the  Mississinewa 
River.  On  the  march  of  General  Hopkins'  force  in 
to  their  country  the  Miamis  had  become  anxious  for 
friendship  with  the  United  States.  But  their  friend 
ship  cooled  with  its  retreat,  and  when  it  was  well  out 
of  the  way  they  resolved  on  hostility.  It  was  now 
highly  important  to  defeat  them  in  order  to  save  Fort 
Wayne  from  their  attacks.  The  detachment  marched 
eighty  miles  over  frozen  ground,  and  arrived  at  the 
first  Indian  village.  Many  of  the  Indians  had  al 
ready  escaped.  They  were  pursued,  and  eight  war 
riors  were  killed,  while  forty-two  prisoners  were  taken 
and  the  town  destroyed.  The  village  of  Silver  Heels 
and  two  others  were  also  destroyed.  When  the 
soldiers  encamped  at  night  Indians  were  discov 
ered  near  at  hand,  and  the  men  were  awakened  be 
fore  dawn,  that  being  the  Indian  hour  for  attack. 
A  fierce  engagement  soon  ensued,  lasting  until  day 
light,  the  Indians  making  strenuous  efforts  to  reach 


268  TECUMSEH. 

and  release  the  captives.  But  they  were  at  last 
driven  off  by  a  charge,  leaving  fifteen  dead  behind 
them  besides  the  bodies  thrown  into  the  river.  The 
effect  of  this  expedition  was  very  wholesome.  The 
Delaware  tribe  and  all  the  other  Indians  who  were 
friendly  to  the  United  States  immediately  accepted 
the  invitation  of  the  governor  and  moved  within  the 
limits  of  the  American  frontier. 

The  troops  under  General  Winchester  were  ordered 
in  January  to  occupy  the  Rapids  of  the  Maumee, 
otherwise  called  the  Miami  of  the  Lakes.  This  had 
been  twice  before  attempted.  Winchester  reached 
the  Rapids  after  a  severe  march  through  the  snow. 
Here  he  received  messages  from  Frenchtown,  on  the 
River  Raisin,  thirty  miles  ahead,  entreating  assist* 
ance.  A  party  of  three  hundred  British  and  Indians 
had  occupied  the  town  and  threatened  to  burn  down 
the  houses  and  carry  away  the  people.  General 
Winchester  held  a  council  of  war  in  which  it  was 
unanimously  agreed  to  send  forward  an  amole  detach 
ment  to  the  River  Raisin.  This  was  a  n.ost  unwise 
undertaking,  for  Frenchtown  had  but  eighteen  miles 
of  frozen  lake  between  it  and  Maiden,  and  Harrison, 
as  soon  as  he  heard  of  it,  pushed  forward  with  all  his 
might  to  stop  it.  He  was,  however,  too  late,  for  a 
detachment  of  over  six  hundred  men  marched  to 
P  rench to ^n,  surprised  the  British  and  Indians,  and 


MASSACRE  ON  THE  RIVER   RAISIN.          269 

after  a  sharp  battle  drove  them  from  the  town. 
When  General  Winchester  heard  of  this  he  marched 
to  Frenchtown  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

At  daylight,  the  morning  after  his  arrival,  he  was 
attacked  by  Colonel  Proctor  at  the  head  of  a  force  of 
two  thousand  men,  the  Indians  being  commanded  by 
Roundhead  and  Walk-in-the-water.  The  Americans 
were  taken  at  a  disadvantage  and  great  numbers 
were  killed,  those  who  endeavored  to  escape  being 
tomahawked  by  the  Indians.  Winchester  himself 
was  soon  made  prisoner.  The  British  were  repulsed, 
however,  by  that  part  of  the  American  troops  which 
had  been  encamped  within  the  town.  They  resisted 
bravely,  preferring  to  die  thus  than  to  be  massacred 
by  the  Indians.  Winchester  was  urged  by  the  En 
glish  to  order  them  to  surrender,  since  the  artillery 
might  easily  destroy  the  village,  and  they  would  then 
be  at  the  mercy  of  the  savages.  Winchester  gave 
the  order,  but  the  troops  did  not  surrender  until  they 
had  secured  a  promise  of  protection  from  the  Indians. 
After  the  surrender,  General  Proctor  started  for  Mai 
den,  leaving  the  American  wounded  in  the  town 
with  but  one  officer  as  guard,  promising,  however,  to 
send  for  them  so  soon  as  his  own  wounded  were 
transported.  This  he  did  not  do,  and  they  were 
most  barbarously  murdered  by  the  Indians.  Most 
of  them  were  burned  alive  in  the  two  houses  in 


270  TECUMSEH. 

which  they  had  been  left,  those  who  attempted  to 
escape  being  pushed  back  into  the  flames.  The  In 
dians  started  for  Maiden  with  all  those  whom  they 
judged  able  to  walk,  tomahawking  them  when  they 
gave  out  The  road  was  thus  strewed  with  dead 
men.  Nearly  three  hundred  perished  in  the  battle 
and  subsequently  by  the  tomahawk  and  burning,  be 
sides  the  six  hundred  who  were  taken  prisoners. 
This  loss  was  terribly  felt  by  the  Americans,  and  it  is 
little  wonder  that  the  bitterest  feelings  were  enter 
tained  toward  Proctor  for  suffering  such  a  massacre 
to  take  place.  Even  the  Indian  general,  Tecumseh, 
abhorred  this  savage  treatment  of  the  helpless.  Had 
he  been  present,  the  lives  of  the  prisoners  would  un 
doubtedly  have  been  saved.  But  he  was  still  in  the 
Wabash  collecting  warriors. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  SIEGE  OF  FORT  MEIGS. 

GENERAL  HARRISON  was  now  forced  to  give  up 
all  idea  of  attacking  Maiden  for  the  present  Besides 
General  Winchester's  disaster,  there  had  been  great 
loss  from  sickness,  and  the  term  of  service  of  most  of 
the  troops  would  soon  expire.  The  siege  of  Maiden 
was  wisely  deferred  by  the  government  until  later, 
when  the  command  of  Lake  Erie  should  be  obtained 
through  a  fleet  which  was  now  in  preparation.  Fort 
Meigs  was  the  depot  of  the  artillery  and  military 
stores  for  the  next  campaign.  General  Harrison's 
main  object  at  present  was  to  hold  this  fort,  situated 
at  the  Rapids  of  the  Maumee,  or  Miami  of  the  Lakes, 
opposite  to  where  the  English  Fort  Miami,  which 
proved  such  a  temptation  to  General  Wayne,  had 
stood.  Tecumseh,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Proph 
et,  had  been  collecting  Indians  from  the  different 
tribes  during  the  winter.  As  spring  came  on,  and 
the  ice  disappeared  from  Lake  Erie,  General  Har 
rison  was  in  constant  expectation  of  an  attack  from 
Maiden.  His  force  was  now  very  much  reduced  on 
account  of  the  expiration  of  the  terms  of  service  of 


272  TECUMSEH. 

his  soldiers.  What  men  he  had  worked  bravely, 
however,  at  the  fortifications,  which  were  still  in  an 
unfinished  condition.  In  the  latter  part  of  April, 
1813,  the  English,  commanded  by  Proctor,  and  the 
Indians,  under  Tecumseh,  appeared  before  Fort 
Meigs.  They  immediately  began  to  erect  three  bat 
teries  on  a  high  bank  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river.  Meanwhile  the  engineer  within  Fort  Meigs 
had  suggested  a  plan  which  General  Harrison  imme 
diately  accepted,  and  the  whole  army  was  turned  out 
to  work  under  the  engineer's  orders.  The  ground 
immediately  around  the  fort  had  been  cleared  of  its 
heavy  forest.  From  behind  a  few  trees  which  were 
still  standing,  and  from  the  trunks  which  lay  on  the 
ground,  the  Indians  would  now  and  then  succeed  in 
getting  a  shot  at  some  of  the  garrison.  On  one  side 
of  the  fort  the  trees  had  not  been  cleared  away  to  so 
great  a  distance.  Here  the  Indians  were  accustomed 
to  climb  into  the  tree-tops  and  annoy  the  Americans 
with  their  shots.  This  fire,  however,  served  as  a 
stimulus  to  the  militia,  and  it  was  remarked  on  this 
occasion  that  their  movements  were  much  quick 
ened  "by  a  brisk  fire  of  musketry  about  their  ears." 
The  English  had  finished  their  batteries,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  first  of  May  the  Americans  saw  that 
they  were  loading  and  adjusting  their  guns  upon 
objects  within  the  fort.  In  a  few  minutes  an  ira- 


THE  SIEGE  OF  FORT  MEIGS.  273 

mense  wall  of  earth,  as  by  magic,  was  presented  to 
the  view  of  the  English  gunners,  and  not  a  man  or  a 
tent  was  to  be  seen  within  Fort  Meigs.  This  was 
the  result  of  the  engineer's  scheme,  and  the  day  and 
night  toil  of  the  soldiers.  A  grand  traverse,  or  earth 
wall,  twelve  feet  high,  had  been  built  on  the  elevated 
ground  in  the  center  of  the  fort  This  had  been  care 
fully  hidden  from  view  by  the  tents,  which  were  now 
quickly  moved  behind  it.  For  five  days  the  fort  was 
cannonaded  and  bombarded,  with  but  little  effect  and 
not  much  loss  of  life.  The  fire  was  returned  from 
the  fort,  but  economically,  for  ammunition  was  scarce. 
When  the  fire  from  the  batteries  slackened,  the  Amer 
ican  soldiers  would  appear  above  the  embankment 
giving  three  cheers  and  swinging  their  caps  in  the 
air.  Much  amusement  was  created  within  the  fort  by 
the  yells  and  demonstrations  of  delight  on  the  part  of 
the  Indians  when  they  thought  serious  damage  was 
done  by  the  bursting  of  a  shell  in  the  American 
camp.  This  mode  of  fighting  was  new  to  the  In 
dians,  and  they  admired  it  very  much.  Tecumseh 
always  called  the  bomb-shells  "  double  balls,"  and  felt 
a  great  respect  for  them.  The  English  tried  the  effect 
of  a  fire  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  fort,  but  here 
their  guns  were  silenced  by  the  American  batteries. 
General  Green  Clay  was  now  near  at  hand  with  a 

reinforcement  of  twelve  hundred  Kentucky  volun- 

12* 


2/4  TECUMSEH. 

teers.  It  was  necessary  for  him  to  descend  the  river 
in  eighteen  flats.  This  he  intended  to  do  on  the 
night  of  the  4th  of  May,  reaching  Fort  Meigs  by 
daylight.  An  officer  and  some  men  were  sent  ahead 
to  inform  General  Harrison  of  his  intentions.  Harri 
son  resolved  to  make  a  sally  against  the  enemy  on 
Clay's  arrival.  He  sent  Captain  Hamilton  to  meet 
the  reinforcements  with  directions  to  General  Clay  to 
detach  about  eight  hundred  men,  which  should  be 
landed  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  where  they  were 
to  attack  the  English  batteries,  spike  the  cannons 
and  destroy  the  carriages,  after  which  they  were  to 
immediately  cross  to  the  fort.  Meanwhile  the  re 
mainder  of  the  troops  were  to  land  on  the  side  of  the 
river  where  the  fort  stood,  and  fight  their  way  to  it 
through  the  Indians.  Captain  Hamilton  did  not 
meet  the  reinforcements  until  after  daylight.  They 
had  been  detained  by  their  pilot,  who  refused  to  pro 
ceed  until  morning. 

When  General  Clay  approached  Fort  Meigs,  Colo 
nel  Dudley  was  detached  to  execute  General  Har 
rison's  orders  in  regard  to  the  English  batteries. 
The  remainder  of  the  boats  were  to  fall  into  line  be 
hind  General  Clay.  In  attempting  this  they  were 
driven  ashore.  After  some  confusion  and  annoyance 
from  the  Indians,  General  Clay  landed  with  the  fifty 
men  who  were  in  his  boat.  They  marched  to  the 


THE  SIEGE  OF  FORT  MEIGS.  275 

fort  without  loss,  under  a  fire  from  Tecumseh's  In 
dians  and  with  a  discharge  of  grape-shot  from  the 
English  batteries.  The  rear  boats  effected  a  landing 
in  spite  of  a  fire  from  the  Indians.  The  troops  im 
mediately  formed  and  returned  the  volley.  They 
now  received  orders  from  Harrison  to  march  in  open 
order  to  the  gates  of  the  fort.  Here  they  were  met 
by  a  detachment  sent  out  by  Harrison.  The  force 
then  turned  and  marched  against  Tecumseh's  Indians, 
who  were  greatly  superior  in  number,  but  whom 
they  drove  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet  for  some  dis 
tance.  General  Harrison,  who  was  watching  with  a 
glass  the  operations  of  the  troops,  saw  that  this  de 
tachment  was  in  danger  from  a  body  of  English  and 
Indians  who  were  filing  along  the  edge  of  the  woods 
preparatory  to  attacking  them  in  the  rear.  He  im 
mediately  despatched  his  aid  to  recall  the  detachment. 
The  aid's  horse  was  shot  from  under  him,  however, 
and  another  officer  repeated  the  order.  The  pursu 
ing  Americans  were  extremely  reluctant  to  retunk> 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  they  were  induced  to 
do  so.  In  their  retreat  they  were  pursued  by  the  In 
dians,  who  succeeded  in  killing  more  men  than  they 
had  done  before  during  the  whole  action.  General 
Harrison  could  now  see  the  detachment  under  Colo 
nel  Dudley  carrying  out  their  orders  at  the  English 
batteries.  The  general  ordered  a  sortie  under  Colo- 


2/6  TECUMSEH. 

nel  Miller  against  the  batteries  on  the  side  of  the 
river  where  the  fort  stood.  This  detachment  attack 
ed  the  batteries,  spiked  the  cannon,  took  about  forty 
prisoners,  and  routed  the  enemy,  although  the  En 
glish  were  greatly  superior  in  numbers.  The  enemy 
rallied  and  pressed  Colonel  Miller  hard  as  he  return 
ed  to  the  fort.  Colonel  Miller's  loss  was  considera 
ble  while  the  English  and  Indians  suffered  severely. 
Meanwhile  Colonel  Dudley  had  landed  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  river,  marched  two  miles  to  the  bat 
teries,  and  raising  the  Indian  yell  had  captured  them. 
As  the  Americans  cut  down  the  English  flag  they  were 
greeted  by  shouts  from  the  garrison  of  Fort  Meigs, 
General  Harrison  now  signaled  them  to  retreat  to 
their  boats  according  to  his  order.  They  remained 
at  the  batteries,  however,  interested  in  looking  at  the 
place,  but  spiking  only  a  part  of  the  cannon  and 
without  destroying  the  carriages.  General  Harrison 
now  offered  a  reward  to  anyone  who  would  cross  the 
river  and  order  a  retreat  Lieutenant  Campbell  un 
dertook  to  do  this,  but  was  too  late.  A  body  of 
Indians  in  ambush  had  fired  upon  Colonel  Dudley's 
scouts.  He  had  ordered  reinforcements  to  their 
assistance.  Numbers  of  the  eager  soldiers  imme 
diately  rushed  into  the  woods  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians, 
leaving  the  remainder  of  the  force  under  Colonel 
Dudley  to  hold  the  batteries. 


THE  SIEGE  OF  FORT  MEIGS.  277 

Meanwhile  the  English  gunners  who  had  fled  on 
the  attack  of  the  Americans,  reported  to  General 
Proctor.  He  supposed  the  attack  to  have  been  from 
the  main  force  of  the  American  army,  and  imme 
diately  sent  for  the  most  of  his  troops  from  the  op 
posite  shore.  Tecumseh  was  so  eager  that  he  swam 
across  the  river,  and,  following  the  English  force 
which  had  already  attacked  Dudley,  fell  fiercely  upon 
the  rear  of  the  routed  Americans.  The  detachment 
which  had  pursued  the  Indians  returned  only  in  time 
to  join  in  the  confusion  of  a  hopeless  rout.  The 
greater  part  of  the  men  were  killed  or  captured  by 
the  Indians.  Colonel  Dudley  himself  fell  by  the 
tomahawk,  and  less  than  two  hundred  men  out  of 
eight  hundred  reached  Fort  Meigs  in  safety. 

The  American  prisoners  were  taken  to  the  old 
Fort  Miami,  inside  of  which  they  were  confined.  Gen 
eral  Proctor  allowed  the  Indians  to  select  their  vic 
tims  from  among  the  prisoners,  whom  they  shot, 
tomahawked,  or  murdered  in  any  way  which  suited 
their  savage  taste.  Proctor  is  said  to  have  witnessed 
this  operation,  which  lasted  some  two  hours,  during 
which  time  about  twenty  men  were  murdered.  Te 
cumseh  now  came  down  from  the  batteries,  where 
he  had  been,  not  knowing  what  was  going  on.  A 
British  officer  who  was  present  described  Tecumseh's 
conduct  on  this  occasion  to  an  American  gentleman. 


2?8  TECUMSEH. 

He  said  that  suddenly  a  thundering  voice  was  heard, 
speaking  in  the  Indian  tongue.  He  looked  around 
and  saw  Tecumseh  riding  as  fast  as  his  horse  could 
carry  him,  to  a  spot  where  two  Indians  had  an 
American,  killing  him.  Tecumseh  sprang  from  his 
horse,  and  catching  one  Indian  by  the  throat  and  the 
other  by  the  breast,  threw  them  to  the  ground.  The 
chief  then  drew  his  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife, 
and,  running  between  the  prisoners  and  the  Indians, 
brandished  the  weapons  madly,  and  dared  any  of  the 
hundreds  of  Indians  around  him  to  touch  another 
prisoner.  His  people  seemed  much  confounded. 
Tecumseh  exclaimed,  passionately, 

"  Oh,  what  will  become  of  my  Indians !" 

He  then  inquired  where  General  Proctor  was, 
when,  suddenly  seeing  him  at  a  short  distance,  he 
demanded  of  the  commander  why  he  had  allowed 
this  massacre. 

"Sir,"  said  General  Proctor,  "your  Indians  cannot 
be  commanded." 

"Begone!"  answered  the  chief,  sneeringly;  "you 
are  unfit  to  command ;  go  and  put  on  petticoats  i  " 

Not  long  after  this  the  great  Indian  general's 
attention  was  attracted  by  some  one  to  a  group  of 
Indians  with  something  in  their  midst,  at  which  they 
were  looking  intently. 

"  Yonder  are  four  of  your  nation  who  have  been 


THE  SIEGE  OF  FORT  MEIGS.  279 

i  prisoners,"  said  Colonel  Elliott;  "you  may  do 
with  them  as  you  think  proper." 

Tccumseh  walked  up  to  the  little  company  and 
found  in  their  midst  four  Shawnee  Indians — Big  Jim 
and  Soldier,  and  two  brothers  named  Perry. 

"Friends,"  said  Tecumseh,  "Colonel  Elliott  has 
placed  you  under  my  charge,  and  I  will  send  you 
back  to  your  nation  with  a  talk  to  our  people." 

This  he  did,  discharging  them  on  parole  not  to 
fight  a^ain  during  the  war  with  the  English.  He 
sent  some  friendly  messages  to  the  chiefs  of  the 
Shawne  e  nation,  and  dispatched  two  of,  his  followers 
to  acco.-npany  the  released  Indians. 

Whca  the  firing  had  ceased,  an  English  officer 
with  a  Sag  of  truce  was  seen  crossing  the  river. 
He  waa  met  on  landing  by  an  aid-de-camp  of  Gen 
eral  Hai  rison.  He  said  that  his  object  was  to  de 
mand  th>  surrender  of  the  fort.  The  aid  said  that 
he  might  as  well  have  spared  himself  the  trouble, 
but  that  he  would  report  to  his  commander.  Gen 
eral  Harrison,  being  anxious  with  regard  to  the  fate 
of  the  prisoners,  had  the  English  officer,  Major 
Chambers,  blindfolded  and  admitted  to  the  fort 

"  General  Proctor  has  directed  me  to  demand  the 
surrender  of  this  post,"  said  Major  Chambers.  "  He 
wishes  to  spare  the  effusion  of  blood." 

"The  demand,  under  present  circumstances,"  an- 


280  TECUMSEH. 

swered  the  general,  "is  a  most  extraordinary  one. 
As  General  Proctor  did  not  send  me  a  summons  to 
surrender  on  his  first  arrival,  I  had  supposed  that  he 
believed  me  determined  to  do  my  duty.  His  present 
message  indicates  an  opinion  of  me  that  I  am  at  a 
loss  to  account  for." 

"  General  Proctor  could  never  think  of  saying 
anything  to  wound  your  feelings,  sir,"  Major  Cham 
bers  politely  remarked.  "  The  character  of  General 
Harrison,  as  an  officer,  is  well  known.  General 
Proctor's  force  is  very  respectable,  and  there  is  with 
him  a  larger  body  of  Indians  than  has  ever  before 
been  embodied." 

"  I  believe  I  have  a  very  correct  idea  of  General 
Proctor's  force,"  said  General  Harrison ;  "  it  is  not 
such  as  to  create  the  least  apprehension  for  the  re 
sult  of  the  contest,  whatever  shape  he  may  be  pleased 
hereafter  to  give  it.  Assure  the  general,  however, 
that  he  will  never  have  this  post  surrendered  to  him 
upon  any  terms.  Should  it  fall  into  his  hands,  it 
will  be  in  a  manner  calculated  to  do  him  more  honor, 
and  to  give  him  larger  claims  upon  the  gratitude  of 
his  government,  than  any  capitulation  could  possibly 
do." 

Arrangements  were  then  made  for  the  exchange 
of  prisoners. 

An   incident   happened   during  this  siege  which 


THE   SIEGE  OF  FORT  MEIGS.  28 1 

shows  the  contempt  in  which  General  Hull  was  held. 
An  American  soldier  being  near  the  river  bank,  an 
English  soldier  called  out  to  him  "  that  they  would 
better  hang  out  the  white  flag  and  surrender." 

"  General  Hull  has  not  arrived  yet,"  answered  the 
American  ;  "  until  he  comes  you  may  save  yourself 
the  trouble  of  asking  for  a  surrender." 

General  Harrison's  force  did  not  now  amount  to 
more  than  twelve  hundred,  owing  to  the  loss  in  the 
engagement  on  the  5th  of  May.  General  Proctor 
had  under  his  command  about  six  hundred  regulars, 
eight  hundred  Canadian  militia,  and  about  eighteen 
hundred  Indians.  The  Indians,  however,  were  in 
capable  of  strict  subordination,  and  they  now  began 
to  desert  the  English  cause  in  large  numbers.  They 
had  looked  for  some  signal  success  at  Fort  Meigs, 
and  they  now  saw  little  chance  of  it.  It  is  said  that 
General  Proctor  had  offered  large  rewards  in  case 
the  fort  was  taken.  The  Prophet,  who  seemed  still 
to  be  a  tool  in  his  brother's  hands,  though  he  never 
fought  in  the  war,  was  promised  Michigan  Territory 
for  himself  and  his  followers.  Tecumseh  was  prom 
ised  General  Harrison,  if  this  officer  was  captured. 
Whether  this  statement  be  true  01  not  is  not  known. 
No  doubt  the  proud  Tecumseh  would  have  been 
delighted  to  see  in  his  power  the  man  who  had  foiled 
his  dearest  plans,  and  had  ever  been  his  chief  obsta- 


282  TECUMSEH. 

cle  and  antagonist  We  cannot  help  believing,  how 
ever,  that  Tecumseh's  enemy  would  have  been 
treated  with  mercy  if  helpless  in  his  hands. 

News  now  reached  the  English  forces  of  the  cap 
ture  of  Fort  George,  in  Upper  Canada,  by  the 
Americans,  under  General  Dearborn,  and  Proctor 
began  to  think  it  unwise  to  remain  longer  at  Fort 
Meigs  while  Upper  Canada  was  unprotected.  Early 
on  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  May  the  An^ericans 
saw  the  enemy  moving  away. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE    SECOND   ATTACK   ON   FORT  MEIGS. 

IT  was  with  great  reluctance  that  the  United 
States  government  consented  to  the  employment 
of  Indians  in  the  War  of  1812,  it  having  been  a 
constant  source  of  complaint  against  the  English 
government  that  they  had  used  the  savages.  Gov 
ernor  Howard  of  the  Missouri  Territory  had  dis 
missed  a  company  of  rangers  which  the  Osage 
Indians  had  been  permitted  to  raise  among  them 
selves  in  his  absence.  This  powerful  nation  was  so 
displeased  that  there  was  much  fear  of  its  turning 
against  the  American  settlements. 

An  English  trader  named  Robert  Dickson  had 
been  sent  in  the  spring  of  1813  among  the  Indian 
tribes  on  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers.  He 
gathered  together  at  Chicago  nearly  a  thousand  In 
dians,  among  whom  was  a  great  Pottawatomie  chief, 
named  Mai-Pock,  who  wore  a  belt  of  scalps  around 
his  waist.  In  the  months  of  July  and  August  nearly 
all  the  Indian  warriors  of  the  North  and  North-West 
were  collected  around  Maiden.  Their  camps  ex 
tended  from  Brownstown  to  Detroit  They  had 


TECUMSEH. 

their  families  with  them,  and  as  they  neither  hunted 
nor  planted  corn,  their  support  must  have  been  a 
great  burden  upon  the  English  government  The 
main  force  of  the  British  in  Upper  Canada  consisted 
of  these  Indians. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1813,  General  Harrison, 
who  was  now  in  the  interior,  was  informed  that  Fort 
y  Meigs  was  again  likely  to  be  invested.  Before  he 
\returned  to  his  outposts  he  held  a  council  with  the 
chiefs  of  the  Delaware,  Shawnee,  Wyandot,  and 
Seneca  tribes.  These  nations  still  remained  friendly 
to  the  United  States.  Harrison  made  them  a  speech, 
in  which  he  told  them  that  it  was  time  for  all  the 
neutral  Indians  to  take  the  one  side  or  the  other. 
He  told  them  of  a  proposal  that  General  Proctor  had 
made  to  exchange  his  American  prisoners  for  the 
Indians  friendly  to  the  United  States.  Harrison  told 
them  that  this  looked  as  though  General  Proctor  had 
received  some  hint  that  they  were  willing  to  take  up 
the  tomahawk  against  the  United  States.  The  Pres 
ident  wanted  no  false  friends,  and  if  they  wished  to 
prove  their  friendship  they  must  either  move  into 
the  interior  or  join  him  in  the  war.  This  last  the 
chiefs  unanimously  agreed  to  do.  They  said  they 
had  been  waiting  for  an  invitation  to  fight  for  the 
Americans.  A  speech  was  made  by  Tahe,  the  old- 
est  Indian  in  the  West.  He  spoke  in  behalf  of  all 


SECOND  ATTACK   ON  FORT  MEIGS.  285 

the  tribes  present,  and  professed  the  greatest  friend 
ship  for  the  United  States.  General  Harrison  said 
that  he  would  let  the  Indians  know  when  they  were 
wanted  ;  "  but,"  said  he,  "  you  must  conform  to  our 
mode  of  warfare.  You  are  not  to  kill  defenceless 
prisoners,  old  men,  women  or  children."  General 
Harrison  then  told  them  that  he  had  been  told  that 
General  Proctor  had  promised  to  deliver  him  into 
the  hands  of  Tecumseh  if  they  succeeded  in  their 
attack  on  Fort  Meigs.  "  Now,  if  I  can  succeed  in 
taking  Proctor,"  said  General  Harrison,  "  you  shaU 
have  him  for  your  prisoner,  provided  you  will  agree 
to  treat  him  as  a  squaw,  and  only  put  petticoats  upon 
him,  for  he  must  be  a  coward  who  would  kill  a  de 
fenceless  prisoner." 

Early  in  July,  1813,  the  Indians  began  to  appear 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Meigs.  They  attacked 
small  parties  who  went  out  of  the  fort,  and  some  men 
were  lost  in  skirmishes  with  them. 

On  the  evening  of  the  2Oth  of  July,  the  English 
and  Indians,  about  five  thousand  strong,  were  again 
seen  approaching  Fort  Meigs,  of  which  General  Clay 
was  now  the  commander.  Previous  to  the  siege  he 
had  busied  himself  with  clearing  off  the  trees  to  a 
greater  distance,  and  burning  the  trunks  which  had 
been  left  on  the  ground.  The  English  forces  now 
encamped  below  Fort  Miami,  and  the  Indians  soon 


286  TECUMSEH. 

took  possession  of  the  woods  in  the  rear  of  Fort  Meigs. 
Here  they  could  effect  nothing,  as  the  grape  and  can 
ister  shot  from  the  fort  kept  them  at  a  distance.  In 
the  night  an  express  was  sent  to  General  Harrison  to 
inform  him  of  the  siege.  General  Clay  expected  that 
the  English  would  immediately  erect  batteries.  Most 
of  the  men  were  occupied  through  the  night  in 
throwing  up  new  traverses,  and  preparing  all  for  re 
sistance.  Those  who  were  permitted  to  rest  slept  on 
their  arms.  On  the  23d  of  July,  eight  hundred 
mounted  Indians,  commanded  by  Tecumseh,  went  up 
the  river.  It  was  supposed  at  the  fort  that  Tecumseh 
intended  to  attack  Fort  Winchester.  Everything  still 
remained  quiet  around  Fort  Meigs.  On  the  evening 
of  the  24th,  Colonel  Gaines  of  the  garrison,  with  two 
hundred  men,  made  a  circuit  of  the  fort  to  see  if  the 
English  had  begun  to  erect  any  batteries  A  stronger 
detachment  was  sent  from  the  English  camp  to  inter 
cept  him,  but  he  succeeded  in  regaining  the  fort  be 
fore  he  was  overtaken.  The  next  morning  the  En 
glish  moved  to  the  side  of  the  river  on  which  the  fort 
stood,  and  encamped  behind  a  point  of  woods.  This 
movement  led  General  Clay  to  suppose  that  they 
intended  to  storm  his  position. 

The  express  from  Fort  Meigs  found  General  Har 
rison  at  Lower  Sandusky.  He  thought  that  the 
movement  of  Tecumseh  toward  Fort  Winchester  was 


SECOND  ATTACK  ON  FORT  MEIGS.  287 

a  feint  to  attract  attention  in  that  direction,  while 
Fort  Stephenson,  at  Lower  Sandusky,  would  prove 
to  be  the  real  point  of  attack.  As  this  post  had 
been  pronounced  untenable  and  was  unimportant, 
Harrison  directed  his  main  attention  to  Fort  Meigs 
and  Upper  Sandusky.  He  moved  his  headquarters 
to  Seneca  Town,  leaving  Fort  Stephenson  in  charge 
of  Major  Croghan.  From  this  point  he  would  be 
ready  to  relieve  either  of  the  important  posts.  He 
sent  the  express  from  Fort  Meigs  back  with  the 
message  that  he  had  not  a  sufficient  force  to  march 
immediately  to  the  relief  of  that  fort,  but  that  he 
would  inform  the  governor  of  Ohio,  and  troops 
would  soon  be  collected  for  that  purpose  if  the  enemy 
persevered. 

Meanwhile  Tecumseh  had  devised  a  stratagem  by 
means  of  which  he  hoped  to  decoy  the  Americans  from 
the  fort  On  the  afternoon  of  the  26th  of  July,  a 
heavy  firing  of  rifles  and  musketry,  followed  by  the 
Indian  yell,  was  heard  upon  the  Sandusky  road.  A 
body  of  Indians  could  be  seen  attacking  a  column  of 
men  who  were  at  one  time  thrown  into  confusion, 
then  rallied  again,  and  the  Indians  gave  way.  This 
contest  seemed  to  be  approaching  the  fort.  It  had 
the  intended  effect  upon  the  garrison,  who  seized  their 
arms  and  demanded  to  be  led  to  the  assistance  of 
'-.heir  friends.  Fortunately  the  express  had  arrived 


288  TECUMSEH. 

that  morning  with  Harrison's  mesiage,  and  General 
Clay  concluded  that  there  could  be  no  reinforcements 
in  the  neighborhood.  A  few  discharges  from  the 
cannons  at  the  fort  and  a  heavy  shower  of  rain  ter 
minated  this  sham  battle,  which  had  lasted  an  hour. 

On  the  28th  of  July  the  siege  of  Fort  Meigs  was 
raised,  and  the  English  embarked  in  their  vessels  and 
sailed  around  into  Sandusky  Bay,  while  a  number  of 
the  Indians  crossed  by  land. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  ATTACK  ON  FORT  STEPHENSON. 

THIS  movement  had  been  anticipated  by  General 
Harrison.  He  had  examined  Fort  Stephenson  and 
found  a  hill  in  the  neighborhood  which  commanded 
the  fort,  and  to  which  he  thought  of  removing  it 
Major  Croghan  offered  to  carry  out  this  plan,  but 
General  Harrison  thought  it  would  probably  be  at 
tacked  before  the  removal  could  be  accomplished. 
General  Harrison  was  convinced  that  the  fort  could 
not  be  defended  against  the  English  artillery,  and 
told  Major  Croghan  that  if  the  fort  was  approached 
by  water,  it  would  be  presumable  that  the  enemy 
had  brought  heavy  artillery,  and  he  must  effect  a 
retreat  if  possible  after  burning  the  fort.  If,  how 
ever,  he  should  be  attacked  by  land,  it  would  be  sui 
cidal  to  attempt  to  escape  through  the  Indian  forces. 

On  the  29th  of  July  General  Harrison  was  in 
formed  by  an  express  from  General  Clay  of  the 
movement  of  the  enemy.  In  a  council  held  with 
his  officers,  it  was  decided  that  Fort  Stephenson  was 
untenable,  since  the  English  could  bring  any  number 
of  battering  cannon  against  it  General  Harrison 

13 


29°  TECUMSEH. 

immediately  sent  Major  Croghan  a  peremptory  ordi  / 
to  abandon  and  burn  the  fort  and  effect  a  retreat. 
The  bearers  of  this  message  having  lost  their  way  in 
the  night,  it  did  not  reach  Fort  Stephenson  for  twen 
ty-four  hours.  When  it  arrived  at  the  fort  the  In 
dians  were  already  hovering  about,  and  in  a  council 
of  officers  it  was  decided  to  hold  the  fort  until  further 
orders  should  be  received.  The  commander  of  the 
post,  who  was  a  nephew  of  the  famous  General 
George  Rogers  Clark,  wrote  the  following  note  to 
Harrison : — 

"  SlR:  I  have  just  received  yours  of  yesterday,  ten 
o'clock  P.  M.,  ordering  me  to  destroy  this  place  and 
make  good  my  retreat,  which  was  received  too  late 
to  be  carried  into  execution.  We  have  determined 
to  maintain  this  place,  and  by  heavens  we  can  !  " 

The  impudence  of  this  note  is  accounted  for  by 
the  fact  that  Major  Croghan  expected  it  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  It  reached  General  Harri 
son,  however,  and  he  did  not  understand  this.  He 
sent  Colonel  Wells  to  relieve  Major  Croghan,  and 
summoned  that  gentleman  to  appear  before  him  an'^ 
answer  for  his  disobedience.  This  was  done  satis 
factorily,  and  the  Major  was  permitted  to  return  to 
his  post 

A  reccnnoitering  party  first  discovered  the  ap 
proach  of  the  enemy  by  water  on  the  3ist  of  July. 


ATTACK   ON   FORT  STEPHENSON.  291 

They  returned  to  the  fort  about  noon  the  following 
day,  and  a  few  hours  afterward  it  was  invested. 
Major  Croghan  was  but  twenty-one  years  of  age;  he 
had  but  one  piece  of  artillery,  a  six-pounder,  and 
his  garrison  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  men. 
The  Indians  first  showed  themselves  over  the  hill. 
They  were  greeted  by  the  six-pounder.  Half  an 
hour  afterward  the  English  gunboats  appeared  and 
the  Indians  were  seen  in  every  direction.  The  soli 
tary  six-pounder  was  fired  at  the  boats  a  few  times, 
and  was  answered  by  the  English  artillery.  The 
enemy  effected  a  landing  with  one  piece  a  mile  be 
low  the  fort.  Major  Chambers  then  approached  the 
fort  with  a  flag.  Major  Croghan  sent  Ensign  Shipp 
to  meet  him.  Major  Chambers  said  that  he  had  in 
structions  from  General  Proctor  to  demand  the  sur 
render  of  the  fort,  that  he  was  anxious  to  prevent 
the  effusion  of  blood,  which  could  not  be  done  if  he 
were  forced  to  reduce  the  fort  by  the  large  force  of 
regulars  and  Indians  and  the  artillery  under  his  com 
mand.  Shipp  answered  that  it  was  their  determina 
tion  to  defend  the  fort,  which  they  would  do  if  they 
buried  themselves  in  its  ruins,  and  no  force  could  in 
duce  them  to  surrender.  Major  Chambers  said  that 
if  the  fort  were  taken,  of  which  event  they  had  no 
doubt,  their  Indians  could  not  be  restrained  from 
massacring  the  inmates.  The  Indian  agent,  Dickson, 


TECUMSEH. 


who  accompanied  Major  Chambers,  then  remarked 
that  it  was  a  pity  that  such  a  fine  young  man  should 
fall  into  Indian  hands. 

"Sir,  for  God's  sake,  surrender  and  prevent  the 
dreadful  massacre  that  will  be  caused  by  your  resist 
ance,"  he  said. 

Shipp  answered  that  when  the  fort  was  taken  there 
would  be  none  to  massacre.  An  Indian  at  this  mo 
ment  came  out  of  a  ravine  near  by  and  attempted  to 
wrest  the  American's  sword  from  him,  but  was  pre 
vented  by  the  Englishmen,  who  conducted  Shipp 
safely  to  the  fort  This  last  scene  was  believed  by 
the  Americans  to  have  been  a  bit  of  stage  play  to 
illustrate  the  point  to  the  ensign's  mind. 

The  forces  of  the  English  consisted  of  about  five 
hundred  regulars  and  eight  hundred  Indians  under 
Dickson.  Tecumseh  with  two  thousand  Indians  was 
stationed  on  the  road  to  Fort  Meigs  to  intercept  any 
reinforcement 

The  English  now  fired  upon  the  fort  from  the 
cannon  on  their  gunboats  and  the  piece  on  shore. 
This  firing  continued  all  night  with  little  effect  Ma 
jor  Croghan  occasionally  fired  his  little  six-pounder, 
moving  it  from  place  to  place  to  make  the  enemy  be 
lieve  that  he  had  more  than  one  piece.  He  was 
sparing  in  the  use  of  it,  however,  as  his  ammunition 
was  scarce.  The  English  directed  their  fire  against 


ATTACK  ON  FORT  STEPHENSON.      293 

the  north-western  angle  of  the  fort.  Major  Croghan 
thought  from  this  that  they  would  endeavor  to  make 
a  breach  and  storm  his  works  at  that  point.  He  had 
the  solitary  cannon  secretly  moved  to  a  block-house 
where  it  would  command  this  angle,  masked  the  em 
brasure,  and  loaded  the  gun. 

Early  the  next  morning,  the  English  opened  from 
their  howitzer  and  three  six-pounders,  which  they 
had  planted  in  the  woods  during  the  night.  In  the 
afternoon  they  again  concentrated  their  fire  on  the 
north-western  angle.  Major  Croghan  immediately 
strengthened  the  palisades  at  this  point  with  bags  of 
sand  and  flour.  Later  the  smoke  of  the  firing  had  so 
enveloped  the  fort  that  nothing  could  be  seen  from 
it.  Feints  were  now  made  toward  the  southern  an 
gle,  but  the  troops  at  the  north-western  angle  main 
tained  their  position.  Suddenly  a  body  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  men  were  discovered  within  twenty 
paces  at  this  point.  A  heavy  fire  of  musketry  from 
the  fort  threw  them  into  some  confusion,  but  the 
commanding  officer,  Colonel  Short,  soon  rallied  his 
men.  He  bravely  led  them  to  the  ditch,  and  then 
jumped  in,  his  troops  following  him.  When  the 
ditch  was  full  the  masked  embrasure  was  opened  and 
the  cannon  did  such  effective  work  that  but  few  es 
caped.  The  officers  attempted  to  rally  their  men, 
but  in  vain ;  they  were  utterly  routed. 


294  TECUMSEH. 

The  loss  of  the  little  garrison  was  one  killed  and 
seven  wounded.  The  English  loss  was  great.  Night 
came  on  soon  after  the  assault,  and  the  wounded 
could  not  be  relieved  completely  by  either  side.  All 
those  who  were  able  returned  to  the  English  lines. 
Major  Croghan  conveyed  water  to  the  wounded 
English  in  the  ditch  by  means  of  buckets  over  the 
wall  of  the  fort.  He  also  had  a  ditch  opened  under 
the  palisades,  through  which  those  who  were  able 
crawled  into  the  fort.  The  Indians  succeeded  in  car 
rying  away  many  of  their  own  dead  and  wounded. 

Before  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of 
August,  the  English  and  Indians  retreated.  They 
left  a  boat  containing  some  clothing  and  military 
stores,  and  seventy  stands  of  arms,  while  some  braces 
of  pistols  were  picked  up  around  the  fort.  They  had 
retreated  precipitately,  expecting  an  attack  from 
General  Harrison,  who,  however,  had  deferred  march 
ing  to  the  relief  of  the  fort,  seeing  that  the  English 
had  only  brought  light  artillery  with  them.  News 
had  been  sent  to  Harrison  that  the  English  were 
preparing  to  retreat,  and  he  immediately  set  out 
for  the  fort  with  a  body  of  dragoons.  He  arrived 
there  early  in  the  morning  after  the  enemy  had 
disappeared.  He  did  not  pursue  them,  however,  for 
he  feared  an  attack  from  Tecumseh  upon  Fort  Meigs 
or  upon  the  reinforcements  which  were  coming  from 


ATTACK   ON  FORT  STEPHENSON.  29$ 

Ohio.  In  his  official  report,  General  Harrison  called 
the  youthful  Major  Croghan  "  a  hero  worthy  of  his 
gallant  uncle." 

On  the  day  following  the  assault  the  Americans 
buried  the  English  dead — among  whom  was  the 
brave  Colonel  Short — with  suitable  honors. 

A  small  party  of  Wyandot  Indians  were  sent  down 
the  bay  as  scouts  after  the  retreat  of  the  enemy. 
They  succeeded  in  surprising  and  capturing  a  few 
English  soldiers.  They  brought  their  prisoners  back 
in  safety,  with  an  evident  sense  of  deserving  extra 
ordinary  commendation  for  having  abstained  from 
cruelty.  They  were  often  seen  telling  the  story  to 
other  warriors,  and  laughing  over  the  terror  of  their 
prisoners,  who,  no  doubt,  expected  to  be  tomahawked 
or  burned 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

ANECDOTES   OF  TECUMSEH. 

AT  every  defeat  of  General  Proctor  the  Indians 
became  more  and  more  dissatisfied.  When  the  first 
siege  of  Fort  Meigs  was  abandoned,  they  pressed  the 
commander  to  make  a  new  effort.  The  success  of 
the  American  arms  in  various  skirmishes  elsewhere 
was  kept  from  them.  A  trader  at  length  divulged  it, 
and  for  this  he  was  arrested  by  General  Proctor,  but 
the  Indians  demanded  his  release,  and  the  commander 
felt  obliged  to  comply  with  their  wishes.  The  sav 
ages  at  this  time  held  secret  councils,  and  would  gire 
the  general  no  information  of  their  proceedings. 

After  his  retreat  from  Fort  Stephenson,  Proctor 
and  his  forces  proceeded  to  Maiden  by  water,  while 
Tecumseh  with  his  warriors  marched  around  the  he?d 
of  Lake  Erie  and  met  him  there. 

An  American  citizen,  Captain  Le  Croix,  had  been 
arrested  by  General  Proctor,  and  was  at  this  time 
secreted  on  board  an  English  vessel  until  he  could  be 
sent  to  Montreal.  Tecumseh  had  an  especial  friend 
ship  for  Le  Croix,  and  it  may  have  been  because  of 
his  influence  with  Tecumseh  that  he  was  seized.  Te- 


ANECDOTES  OF  TECUMSEH.       297 

cumseh,  suspecting  that  Le  Croix  had  been  impris 
oned,  visited  General  Proctor,  and  asked  if  he  knew 
anything  of  his  friend.  He  even  ordered  General 
Proctor  to  tell  the  truth.  "  If  I  ever  detect  you  in  a 
falsehood,"  said  Tecumseh,  "  I,  with  my  Indians,  will 
immediately  abandon  you." 

General  Proctor  acknowledged  that  he  held  Captain 
Le  Croix  as  a  prisoner.  Tecumseh  then  demanded 
that  his  friend  should  be  instantly  set  at  liberty,  and 
the  general  wrote  a  note  ordering  the  release  of  the 
prisoner,  saying  that  the  "  King  of  the  Woods  "  de 
manded  it,  and  it  must  be  done. 

Tecumseh  treated  the  American  commander  with 
equal  contempt.  A  recent  writer,  we  do  not  know 
on  what  authority,  gives  a  challenge  which  Tecumseh 
sent  to  Harrison  at  the  first  siege  of  Fort  Meigs.  It 
ran  thus: — 

"GENERAL  HARRISON:  I  have  with  me  eight 
hundred  braves.  You  have  an  equal  number  in  your 
hiding  place.  Come  out  with  them  and  give  me 
battle.  You  talked  like  a  brave  when  we  met  at 
Vincennes,  and  I  respected  you ;  but  now  you  hide 
behind  logs  and  in  the  earth,  like  a  ground-hog. 
Give  me  answer.  TECUMSEH." 

Tecumseh  was  very  careful  that  his  dignity  as  an 
Indian  chief  and  an  English  general  should  be  re 
spected.  He  knew  enough  of  the  English  language 

13* 


298  TECUMSEH. 

to  hold  a  conversation  on  any  ordinary  topic.  He 
never  was  known,  however,  to  use  anything  but  the 
Shawnee  tongue  in  council  or  in  conversing  with  the 
English  officers  or  agents.  Indeed  he  would  not 
speak  English  except  with  those  towards  whom  he 
felt  very  friendly.  During  the  War  of  1812  he  al 
ways  kept  an  interpreter  with  him. 

At  one  time  while  the  English  and  Indians  were 
eiicamped  at  Maiden,  provisions  became  scarce.  The 
English  soldiers  were  supplied  with  salt  beef,  while 
horseflesh  was  given  to  the  Indians.  Tecumseh  was 
incensed  at  this  treatment  of  his  people.  He  visited 
General  Proctor  and  complained  of  the  arrangement 
by  which,  he  considered,  an  insult  was  offered  to  him 
and  his  men.  The  commanding  general,  however, 
seemed  indifferent  to  Tecumseh's  remonstrance. 
The  chief  than  struck  the  hilt  of  Proctor's  sword, 
and  touched  his  own  tomahawk,  saying  with  dignity, 

"You  are  Proctor — I  am  Tecumseh,"  thus  indi 
cating  a  way  of  settling  the  point  if  it  were  not  at 
tended  to.  General  Proctor  yielded. 

The  Americans  always  had  great  confidence  in 
Tecumseh,  though  he  was  an  enemy.  Once  when 
the  English  and  Indians  were  encamped  near  the 
River  Raisin,  some  Sauks  and  Winnebagoes  entered 
the  house  of  a  Mrs.  Ruland  and  began  to  plunder  it. 
She  immediately  sent  her  little  daughter  to  ask  Te- 


ANECDOTES  OF  TECUMSEH.        299 

cumseh  to  come  to  her  assistance.  The  chief  was  in 
council  and  was  making  a  speech  when  the  child  en 
tered  the  building  and  pulled  the  skirt  of  Tecumseh's 
hunting-shirt,  saying, 

"  Come  to  our  house,  there  are  bad  Indians  there." 

Tecumseh  did  not  wait  to  finish  his  speech,  but 
walked  rapidly  to  the  house.  At  the  entrance  he 
met  some  Indians  dragging  a  trunk  away.  He 
knocked  down  the  first  one  with  a  blow  from  his 
tomahawk.  The  others  prepared  to  resist 

"  Dogs  !"  cried  the  chief,  "  I  am  Tecumseh  !"  The 
Indians  immediately  fled,  and  Tecumseh  turned  upon 
some  English  officers  who  were  standing  near : 

"  You,"  said  he,  "  are  worse  than  dogs,  to  break 
your  faith  with  prisoners." 

The  officers  immediately  apologized  to  Mrs.  Ru- 
land,  and  offered  to  put  a  guard  around  her  house. 
She  declined  this  offer,  however,  saying  that  she  was 
not  afraid  so  long  as  that  man,  pointing  to  Tecum 
seh,  was  near. 

After  the  retreat  from  Fort  Stephenson,  Tecum 
seh,  discouraged  by  the  ill-success  of  the  English, 
and  having  lost  confidence  in  General  Proctor,  as 
sembled  a  council  of  the  Shawnee,  Wyandot,  and 
Ottawa  Indians  who  were  under  him,  and  proposed 
that  they  should  abandon  a  struggle  which  seemed 
to  promise  them  no  good.  He  told  them  that  when 


300  TECUMSEH. 

they  had  taken  up  the  tomahawk  and  joined  theif 
father,  the  King,  they  were  promised  plenty  of  white 
men  to  fight  with  them  ;  "  but  the  number  is  not  now 
greater/'  said  Tecumseh,  "than  at  the  commence 
ment  of  the  war ;  and  we  are  treated  by  them  like 
the  dogs  of  snipe-hunters ;  we  are  always  sent  ahead 
to  start  the  game.  It  is  better  that  we  should  return 
to  our  own  country,  and  let  the  Americans  come  on 
and  fight  the  British."  Tecumseh's  immediate  fol 
lowers  all  agreed  with  him  in  this  decision,  but  the 
Sioux  and  Chippewas,  when  they  discovered  his  in 
tention,  went  to  him  and  told  him  that  he  had  been 
the  first  to  unite  with  the  English,  and  had  induced 
them  to  join  in  the  war,  and  now  he  ought  not  to 
leave  them.  This  decided  Tecumseh  to  remain. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

PERRY'S  VICTORY. 

COMMODORE  P£RRY  had  for  some  time  been  busy 
superintending  the  building  of  two  new  vessels  at 
Erie.  Late  in  the  summer  of  1813  the  American 
fleet  was  at  last  ready  for  action. 

Perry  sailed  to  Maiden  and  displayed  his  vessels 
before  the  English  fleet,  which  was  in  that  harbor. 
Tecumseh  was  on  the  Island  of  Bois  Blanc  at  the 
time.  He  was  much  delighted  when  the  American 
vessels  appeared,  and  told  the  Indians  that  the  En-- 
glish  fleet  would  soon  destroy  them.  The  great  army 
of  Indians  who  were  on  the  island  hastened  to  the 
beach  to  witness  the  battle.  Tecumseh  was  much 
disappointed  when  he  saw  no  signs  of  fighting.  The 
imperious  chief  immediately  launched  his  canoe  and 
paddled  over  to  Maiden  to  inquire  into  it.  He 
visited  General  Proctor,  and  said, 

"  A  few  days  since  you  were  boasting  that  you 
commanded  the  waters — why  do  you  not  go  out 
and  meet  the  Americans  ?  See,  yonder  they  are 
waiting  for  you  and  daring  you  to  meet  them ;  you 
must  and  shall  send  out  your  fleet  and  fight  them." 


302  TECUMSEH. 

When  Tecumseh  returned  to  the  island  he  told 
the  Indians,  with  evident  mortification,  that  "  the  big 
canoes  of  their  great  father  were  not  yet  ready,  and 
that  the  destruction  of  the  Americans  must  be  de 
layed  for  a  few  days." 

On  the  loth  of  September  the  engagement  be 
tween  the  two  fleets  took  place.  Tecumseh  and  the 
Indians  witnessed  this  novel  mode  of  warfare  from 
the  shore  with  the  deepest  interest.  Early  in  the 
morning  the  English  vessels  were  discovered  stand 
ing  out  from  Maiden,  preparatory  to  giving  battle  to 
the  American  fleet  at  Put-in-Bay. 

Commodore  Perry  sailed  out  to  meet  them.  The 
wind  was  ?o  light,  however,  that  the  battle  did  not 
begin  until  nearly  noon.  The  English  vessels  opened 
fire  first,  and  it  was  much  the  more  destructive,  ow 
ing  to  their  superioiity  in  long  guns.  Commodore 
Perry's  flagship  was  named  the  "  Lawrence,"  after 
the  brave  captain  by  that  name  whose  vessel  had 
been  taken  by  an  English  vessel  at  the  mouth  of 
Boston  harbor.  For  two  hours  and  a  half  the  "  Law 
rence  "  sustained  nearly  all  the  fire  from  the  English 
fleet.  At  the  end  of  this  time  there  was  nothing 
left  of  her  but  a  battered  hull,  and  most  of  her  crew 
were  killed  or  wounded.  The  wind  had  increased  by 
this  time,  and  the  "  Niagara "  came  up  in  gallant 
style,  Commodore  Perry  now  left  the  "  Lawrence  " 


PERRY'S   VICTORY.  303 

•n  charge  of  Lieutenant  Yarnell.  He  attempted  to 
cross  in  an  open  boat  to  the  "  Niagara,"  standing 
erect  and  bearing  his  flag,  on  which  was  the  last 
words  of  Captain  Lawrence,  "  Don't  give  up  the 
ship."  His  men,  who  did  not  approve  of  the  ardent 
young  commodore's  thus  making  a  target  of  himself, 
pulled  him  down,  however.  The  remnant  of  his 
crew  upon  the  "Lawrence  "  gave  three  cheers  when 
their  commodore  reached  the  "  Niagara  "  in  safety. 
Perry  now  told  the  commander  of  this  ship,  Captain 
Elliott,  that  he  feared  the  day  was  lost,  on  account  of 
the  lighter  vessels  having  remained  so  far  in  the  rear. 
Captain  Elliott  immediately  set  out  in  an  open  boat, 
and,  going  from  vessel  to  vessel,  brought  them  up 
into  the  position  where  they  could  do  the  most  exe 
cution.  He  was  completely  drenched  with  water, 
thrown  up  by  the  balls  which  struck  on  all  sides  of 
him.  Meanwhile  Commodore  Perry  resolved  upon 
sailing  through  the  enemy's  lines,  and  succeeded 
in  doing  this,  thus  bringing  all  the  "  Niagara's  "  guns 
to  bear  upon  the  English  fleet,  while  the  smaller  ves 
sels,  brought  up  by  Captain  Elliott,  did  good  service. 
Such  a  fire  as  this  could  not  long  be  sustained  by 
the  English  ships,  and  the  whole  fleet  at  last  surren 
dered.  During  the  contest,  soon  after  Perry  had  left 
the  "  Lawrence,"  her  flag  went  down.  The  English 
had  forced  her  to  strike,  but  they  were  themsdve* 


304  TECUMSEH. 

too  much  shattered  to  board  her,  and    Lieutenant 
Yarnell  soon  hoisted  his  flag  again. 

After  the  battle  was  over  a  war  of  courtesy  took 
place  between  the  English  and  American  officers. 
Commodore  Barclay,  the  brave  commander  of  the 
English  fleet,  and  his  officers,  refused  to  retain  their 
swords ;  and  Commodore  Perry  refused  to  accept  the 
sword  of  the  veteran  commander,  for  whom  he  could 
not  but  feel  the  highest  respect  The  swords  passed 
back  and  forth  many  times,  and  the  English  officers 
were  at  last  compelled  to  retain  them. 

On  the  day  after  the  battle  the  English  and  Amer 
icans  held  one  funeral  service  over  the  English  and 
American  dead.  They  were  buried  on  the  shore  of 
Put-in-Bay,  and  the  crews  of  both  fleets  were  pres 
ent.  The  day  was  pleasant  and  the  lake  was  entirely 
calm.  A  solemn  dirge  was  played,  and  the  minute 
guns  fired  as  the  slow  procession  of  boats  carried  the 
bodies  to  their  graves. 

General  Harrison  received  at  his  headquarters, 
where  he  had  heard  the  cannonading,  the  following 
modest  note  from  the  young  commodore,  announc 
ing  the  result  of  his  first  battle : — 

"  DEAR  GENERAL :  We  have  met  the  enemy  and 
they  are  ours — two  ships,  two  brigs,  one  schooner, 
and  a  sloop. 

"  Yours,  with  great  respect  and  esteem, 

"  OLIVER  HAZARD  PERRY." 


PERRY'S  VICTORY.  305 

The  Indians  did  not  understand  the  movements  of 
a  naval  battle,  and  General  Proctor,  who  doubtless 
dreaded  the  influence  of  a  defeat  upon  them,  said  to 
Tecumseh, 

"  My  fleet  has  whipped  the  Americans,  but  the  ves 
sels  being  much  injured  have  gone  to  Put-in-Bay  to 
refit,  and  will  be  here  in  a  few  days." 

The  suspicions  of  Tecumseh  were  soon  aroused, 
however,  when  he  thought  he  perceived  indications 
of  a  plan  to  retreat  from  Maiden, 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

BATTLE   OF  THE  THAMES— DEATH   OF 
TECUMSEH. 

TECUMSEH  was  doubtless  a  very  difficult  ally  to 
manage.  Imperious  and  willful,  it  was  natural  to 
him  to  rule,  and  not  easy  for  him  to  submit.  Gen 
eral  Proctor  feared  his  outspoken  disapproval,  and 
dealt  with  him  by  a  cringing  and  maneuvering  pol 
icy,  which  roused  still  more  the  indignation  of  the 
sensitive  chief.  Proctor  now  told  him  that  he  was 
only  going  to  send  all  his  valuables  up  the  Thames, 
where  they  would  be  met  by  a  reinforcement  and  be 
safe.  Tecumseh,  however,  felt  sure  that  the  com 
mander  was  meditating  a  retreat.  He  demanded,  in 
the  name  of  his  Indians,  that  he  be  heard  by  General 
Proctor.  Audience  was  granted  him  on  the  1 8th  of 
September,  and  the  Indian  orator  delivered  his  last 
speech,  a  copy  of  which  was  afterward  found  in  Gen 
eral  Proctor's  baggage  when  it  was  captured : — 

"  Father,  listen  to  your  children,"  said  Tecumseh ; 
"  you  have  them  all  before  you.  The  war  before 
this,  our  British  father  gave  the  hatchet  to  his  red 
children,  when  our  old  chiefs  were  alive.  They  are 


DEATH   OF  TECUMSEH.  307 

now  dead.  In  that  war  our  father  was  thrown  on 
his  back  by  the  Americans,  and  our  father  took 
them  by  the  hand  without  our  knowledge ;  and  we 
are  afraid  that  our  father  will  do  so  again  at  this 
time.  Summer  before  last,  when  I  came  forward 
with  my  red  brethren  and  was  ready  to  take  up  the 
hatchet  in  favor  of  our  British  father,  we  were  told 
not  to  be  in  a  hurry,  that  he  had  not  yet  determined 
to  fight  the  Americans.  Listen  !  When  war  was 
declared  our  father  stood  up  and  gave  us  the  toma 
hawk  and  told  us  that  he  was  then  ready  to  strike 
the  Americans ;  that  he  wanted  our  assistance,  and 
that  he  would  certainly  get  our  lands  back  which  the 
Americans  had  taken  from  us.  Listen  !  You  told 
us  at  that  time  to  bring  forward  our  families  to  this 
place,  and  we  did  so  ;  and  you  promised  to  take  care 
of  them,  and  they  should  want  for  nothing  while  the 
men  would  go  and  fight  the  enemy ;  that  we  need 
not  trouble  ourselves  about  the  enemy's  garrisons ; 
that  we  knew  nothing  about  them  and  that  our  father 
would  attend  to  that  part  of  the  business.  You  also 
told  your  red  children  that  you  would  take  good 
care  of  your  garrison  here,  which  made  our  hearts 
glad.  Listen !  When  we  were  last  at  the  Rapids 
(Fort  Meigs)  it  is  true  we  gave  you  little  assistance. . 
It  is  hard  to  iight  people  who  live  like  ground-hogs. 
Father,  listen  !  Our  fleet  has  gone  out ;  we  know 


308  TECUMSEH. 

they  have  fought ;  we  have  heard  the  great  guns ; 
but  we  know  nothing  of  what  has  happened  to  our 
father  with  one  arm  (Commodore  Barclay  had  lost 
an  arm  in  a  previous  battle).  Our  ships  have  gone 
one  way,  and  we  are  very  much  astonished  to  see  our 
fathe*-  tying  up  everything  and  preparing  to  run 
away  the  other  without  letting  his  red  children  know 
what  his  intentions  are.  You  always  told  us  to  re 
main  here  and  take  care  of  our  lands ;  it  made  our 
hearts  glad  to  hear  that  was  your  wish.  Our  great 
father,  the  King,  is  the  head,  and  you  represent  him. 
You  always  told  us  you  would  never  draw  your  foot 
off  British  ground ;  but  now,  father,  we  see  that  you 
are  drawing  back,  and  we  are  sorry  to  see  our  father 
doing  so  without  seeing  the  enemy.  We  must  com 
pare  our  father's  conduct  to  a  fat  dog  that  carries  its 
tail  on  its  back,  but  when  affrighted  it  drops  it  be 
tween  its  legs  and  runs  ofT.  Father,  listen  !  The 
Americans  have  not  yet  defeated  us  by  land  ;  neither 
are  we  sure  that  they  have  done  so  by  water ;  we 
v,  therefore  wish  to  remain  here  and  fight  our  enemy, 
should  they  make  their  appearance.  If  they  defeat 
us,  we  will  then  retreat  with  our  father.  At  the 
battle  of  the  Rapids,  last  war  (Wayne's  battle),  the 
Americans  certainly  defeated  us,  and  when  we  re- 
turned  to  our  father's  fort  at  that  place  (Fort  Miami), 
the  gates  were  shut  against  us.  We  were  afraid  that 


DEATH   OF  TECUMSEH.  309 

it  would  now   be  the   case,  but  instead  of  that  we      / 
now  see  our  British  father  preparing  to  march  out  of 
his  garrison.      Father,  you  have  got  the  arms  and 
ammunition  which  our  great  father   sent  to  his  red 
children.     If  you  have  an  idea  of  going  away,  give 
them  to  us  and  you  may  go  and  welcome.     For  us, 
our  lives  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Great  Spirit.      We    _^ 
are  determined  to  defend  our  lands,  and  if  it  be  His 
will,  we  wish  to  leave  our  bones  upon  them." 

General  Proctor  refused  to  follow  the  advice  of 
Tecumseh.  It  is  even  reported  that  this  haughty 
chief  called  the  commander  "a  miserable  old  squaw." 
Tecumseh  had  hoped  to  obtain  assistance  from  the 
English  in  righting  the  wrongs  of  the  Indians,  but 
his  contempt  for  white  people  extended  beyond  the 
American  nation :  it  included  the  race.  Tecumseh, 
though  haughty  and  unbending,  would  doubtless 
have  conducted  himself  differently  toward  a  com 
mander  like  General  Brock,  one  who  was  capable 
of  inspiring  respect  for  his  courage  and  wisdom  in  the 
mind  of  such  an  Indian.  As  it  was,  Tecumseh  cowed 
Proctor.  Some  English  officers  afterward  told  Colo 
nel  Chambers  of  the  American  army  that  Proctor 
preserved  a  copy  of  Tecumseh's  speech  to  show  his 
officers  the  insolence  to  which  he  was  forced  to  sub-  ^ 
mit  in  order  to  prevent  that  chieftain's  withdrawing 
from  the  struggle. 


3  I O  TECUMSEH. 

Finding  that  General  Proctor  insisted  upon  a 
retreat  of  the  British  and  Indian  forces,  Tecumseh 
once  more  threatened  to  leave  the  English  service. 
The  Sioux  and  Chippewas  again  objected,  and  Te 
cumseh  said  that  he  was  at  home  on  the  battle-field, 
that  he  had  no  fear  of  death,  and  that  he  would 
stand  by  them  if  they  insisted. 

The  English  army  began  its  march  up  the  Detroit 
River,  and  on  the  2.6th  of  September  Maiden  was, 
destroyed. 

The  next  day  Harrison  and  his  army  crossed  to 
Maiden  in  the  American  fleet,  expecting  a  battle  with 
the  enemy  on  landing.  Great  was  their  astonishment 
at  finding  only  the  ruins  of  the  fort.  General  Harri 
son,  with  some  regulars,  over  two  hundred  Indians, 
and  a  body  of  militia,  consisting  mostly  of  Kentucky 
volunteers,  was  desirous  of  immediately  pursuing 
General  Proctor.  There  was  little  hope  of  overtaking 
him,  however,  for  he  had  nearly  one  thousand  horses, 
while  Harrison  had  none.  Only  one  indifferent  ani 
mal  could  be  procured.  On  this,  Shelby,  the  aged 
governor  of  Kentucky,  who  had  joined  the  army 
under  Harrison,  was  mounted.  The  deficiency  was 
soon  supplied,  however,  by  the  arrival  of  Colonel 
Richard  M.  Johnson's  mounted  regiment.  A  scout 
ing  party  sent  out  from  this  regiment  had  captured 
an  Indian,  whom  they  found  asleep  in  a  house  on  the 


DEATH  OF  TECUMSEH.  311 

River  Raisin.  His  name  was  Misselemetaw  ;  he  was 
a  chief  counselor  of  Tecumseh  and  an  uncle  of  Logan, 
but  more  truly  Indian  than  either  of  these  celebrated 
men,  for  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  massacre  at 
Pigeon  Roost  He  told  Colonel  Johnson  that  the 
Indians  who  were  allied  with  the  English  amounted 
to  about  seventeen  hundred,  that  they  intended  to 
give  him  battle  at  the  River  Huron,  and  that  they 
still  did  not  know  the  fate  of  the  English  fleet  This 
Indian  was  a  man  of  some  intelligence.  He  was 
under  the  impression  that  the  Americans  would  put 
him  to  death,  and  he  gave  what  was  believed  to  be 
a  frank  account  of  the  transactions  among  the  Indians 
since  Wayne's  treaty.  He  said  that  the  English 
agents  had  given  them  encouragement  previous  to 
the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  ;  that  now  he  thought  that 
the  Indians  had  been  deceived.  He  said  that  he  him 
self  was  forsaken  in  his  old  age  by  the  Great  Spirit 
in  consequence  of  his  cruelty  and  wickedness. 

General  Proctor  promised  Tecumseh  from  time  to 
time  that  he  would  halt  and  give  battle,  first  at 
place,  then  at  some  other  place  further  on.  When 
the  chief  started  upon  the  retreat,  he  made  this  re 
mark  to  young  Jim  Blue  Jacket :  "  We  are  now 
going  to  follow  the  British,  and  I  feel  well  assured 
that  we  shaU  never  return." 


313  TECUMSEH. 

He  seemed  to  feel  homesick  at  leaving  the  country 
for  which  he  had  struggled  so  long. 

On  the  retreat  the  Wyandot  chief,  Walk-in-the- 
water,  deserted  the  English  cause  with  sixty  warriors. 
He  visited  General  Harrison  and  wished  to  make 
peace.  He  was  told  only  to  abandon  Tecumseh, 
and  keep  out  of  the  way  of  the  American  army — 
terms  which  were  gladly  accepted. 

General  Proctor  continued  his  retreat  toward  the 
Thames.  Tecumseh  was  undoubtedly  most  impa 
tient  for  fighting.  At  Dalson's  Farm,  a  place  where 
an  unfordable  stream  falls  into  the  Thames,  it  was  at 
one  time  decided  to  give  battle.  Tecumseh  and 
Proctor,  riding  together  in  a  gig,  examined  the  place 
for  a  battle-ground.  The  two  generals  approved  of 
it,  and  Proctor  said  that  here  they  would  either  de 
feat  General  Harrison  or  leave  their  bones.  This 
idea  pleased  Tecumseh,  and  he  said  "  it  was  a  good 
place,  and  when  he  should  look  at  the  two  streams 
they  would  remind  him  of  the  Wabash  and  the  Tip- 
pecanoe."  General  Proctor  afterward  changed  his 
mind,  however  and  left  Tecumseh  with  a  small 
party  to  defend  the  pass.  The  chief  arranged  his 
forces  judiciously,  ••nd  a  skirmish  ensued,  during 
which  Tecumseh  wa'  wounded  in  the  arm.  The 
Americans  brought  uj  ten  cannons,  and  the  Indians 
dispersed. 


DEATH  OF  TECUMSEH.  313 

Battle  was  at  last  given  on  the  5th  of  October, 
near  the  Moravian  town,  a  village  of  the  Delaware 
Indians  who  had  been  converted  by  the  Moravians. 
Tecumseh  refused  to  retreat  further,  and  indeed  the 
place  was  well  situated  for  defence,  protected  as  it 
was  on  one  side  by  the  river  and  on  the  other  by  a 
marsh. 

Shaubena,  Tecurnseh's  aid,  says  that  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  battle  day,  while  Tecumseh,  Billy  Cald- 
well  and  himself  were  seated  on  a  log  near  the  camp- 
fire,  smoking  their  pipes,  a  messenger  came  to  Te 
cumseh  saying  that  General  Proctor  wished  to  see 
him  immediately.  The  chief  rose  and  hastened  to 
Proctor's  headquarters.  He  soon  returned  with  a 
melancholy  expression  on  his  face.  He  was  silent 
until  Billy  Caldwell  said  to  him, 

"  Father,  what  are  we  to  do  ?  Shall  we  fight  the 
Americans  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  son,"  answered  Tecumseh,  sadly;  "  be 
fore  sunset  we  will  be  in  their  smoke,  as  they  are 
now  marching  upon  us.  But  the  general  wants  you. 
Go,  my  son ;  I  will  never  see  you  again." 

The  English  and  Indians  arranged  themselves  in 
order  of  battle  preparatory  to  meeting  the  Ameri 
cans  when  they  should  appear. 

The  English  forces  were  posted  between  the 
swamp  and  the  river  with  their  artillery.  Tecumseh 

14 


314  TECUMSEH. 

and  his  warriors  were  stationed  in  the  swamp  t*t 
some  high  ground.  After  his  Indians  were  in  posi 
tion  Tecumseh  said  to  the  chiefs  who  stood  around 
him: — 

"Brother  warriors,  we  are  now  about  to  enter  into 
an  engagement  from  which  I  shall  never  come  out — 
my  body  will  remain  on  the  field  of  battle." 

Unbuckling  his  sword  and  handing  it  to  one  of 
the  chiefs,  he  said, 

"  When  my  son  becomes  a  noted  warrior  and  able 
to  wield  a  sword,  give  this  to  him." 

General  Harrison's  army  had  risen  early  to  resume 
the  pursuit  of  the  flying  enemy.  His  army  crossed 
the  river  where  it  was  fordable,  in  singular  style, 
each  horseman  taking  one  of  the  infantry  on  behind 
him,  and  the  remainder  crossing  in  canoes.  When 
the  mounted  regiment  came  within  sight  of  the 
enemy  it  halted.  General  Harrison,  on  coming  up 
and  conferring  with  Colonel  Johnson,  suddenly 
changed  his  plan  of  battle.  He  determined  to  try 
breaking  through  the  English  lines  at  once  with  a 
charge  of  the  mounted  infantry.  When  Colonel 
Johnson  began  forming  his  regiment  according  to  the 
general's  orders,  he  found  that  there  was  not  room 
for  more  than  the  first  battalion  of  his  regiment  to 
act  between  the  river  and  the  swamp.  He  therefore 
resolved  to  put  himself  at  the  head  of  his  second 


DEATH   OF  TECUMSEH.  315 

battalion,  and  with  it  to  attack  the  Indians  on  the 
other  side  of  the  marsh.  The  whole  army  advanced 
until  the  first  battalion  of  mounted  infantry,  under 
Colonel  Johnson's  brother,  was  fired  upon  from  a 
distance.  This  startled  the  horses  and  produced 
some  confusion.  The  English  thus  had  time  to  load 
and  deliver  a  second  fire.  But  the  mounted  infant 
ry,  now  completely  in  motion,  charged  and  broke 
through  the  English  line,  which  was  instantly  thrown 
into  disorder.  The  horsemen  wheeled  right  and  left 
and  did  such  destructive  work  that  in  a  moment  the 
battle  at  this  point  was  over. 

The  struggle  with  the  Indians  was  more  obstinate. 
There  had  been  eight  or  nine  hundred  of  the  En 
glish  troops,  while  there  were  more  than  a  thousand 
Indians  under  Tecumseh's  command.  According  to 
the  account  of  the  famous  Black  Hawk,  who  as  a 
young  man  fought  at  Tecumseh's  side,  the  mounted 
regiment  "  came  bravely  on,"  but  the  Indians  made 
no  move  until  the  Americans  were  so  close  that  they 
could  see  the  flints  in  their  guns.  Then  Tecumseh 
sprang  forward,  gave  the  Shawnee  war-whoop  and 
fired.  This  was  the  signal  for  the  battle  to  begin. 
The  shout  was  answered  from  the  American  line,  and 
the  fire  returned.  Colonel  Johnson's  advance  guard 
was  nearly  all  cut  down  by  the  first  fire,  and  he  was 
himself  severely  wounded  As  the  ground  was  un- 


316  TECUMSEH. 

favorable  for  fighting  on  horseback,  the  colonel  order 
ed  his  men  to  dismount  and  form  on  foot.  In  this 
way  a  fierce  conflict  was  waged  for  seven  or  eight 
minutes,  when  the  Indians,  hearing  no  more  the  en 
couraging  battle-cry  of  Tecumseh,  fled  into  the 
marsh.  "  Tecumseh  fell  dead,  and  we  all  ran,"  was 
the  testimony  of  a  Pottawatomie  chief.  Johnson  was 
himself  too  severely  wounded  to  remain  to  the  end 
of  the  battle,  but  he  said  to  those  around  him,  "  My 
brave  men,  the  battle  continues;  leave  me  and  do  not 
return  until  you  bring  me  an  account  of  the  victory." 

Commodore  Perry  was  present  in  this  battle,  act 
ing  as  aid  to  Harrison.  But  few  of  the  men  on  foot 
could  take  part,  however.  The  victory  was  gained 
by  the  single  dash  of  Colonel  Johnson's  regiment 
and  the  death  of  the  great  Indian. 

Tecumseh  had  been  killed,  and  at  his  side  fell  his 
sister's  husband,  Wasegoboah.  A  bitter  and  com 
plicated  discussion  was  long  waged  as  to  who  killed 
Tecumseh.  Shaubena  and  some  others  say  that  Colo 
nel  Johnson  shot  him  with  his  pistol  at  the  moment 
when  the  chief  attacked  the  colonel  with  his  toma 
hawk.  The  discussion  was  so  aggravated  by  polit 
ical  rivalries  and  party  bitterness  at  the  time  of  Col 
onel  Johnson's  election  to  the  vice-presidency,  that 
it  is  now  quite  impossible  to  decide  the  question. 
The  confuting  testimony  then  produced  has  hope- 


DEATH    OF   TECUMSEH.  3  I/ 

Icssly  confused  it.  For  in  that  day,  skill  in  Indian 
fighting  was  regarded  as  a  prime  qualification  for 
dignified  political  office,  and  men  are  often  selected 
nowadays  on  no  better  grounds.  It  may  be  doubted 
whether  anybody  ever  did  know  who  fired  the  shot 
that  killed  the  great  chief.  Those  who  saw  him  shot, 
from  the  American  side,  did  not  know  him  from  any 
other  Indian,  and  the  Indians  who  saw  him  fall  did 
not  know  his  slayer.  His  death  was  not  certainly 
known  in  the  American  army  for  a  long  time.  Many 
mistook  the  body  of  a  gayly  dressed  and  painted 
warrior  for  that  of  Tecumseh.  It  is  a  shameful  fact 
that  from  this  body  much  of  the  skin  was  stripped 
by  some  American  frontier  men,  who  had  become 
as  barbarous  as  the  savages  against  whom  they  had 
waged  a  life-long  warfare. 

General  Harrison  did  not  announce  the  death  of 
Tecumseh  in  his  report  of  the  battle,  since  no  one 
could  be  sure  that  the  chief  had  been  killed.  Colo 
nel  Johnson  had  killed  an  Indian  who  was  essaying 
to  tomahawk  him.  It  is  quite  likely  that  this  Indian 
was  none  other  than  Tecumseh,  who  would  natural 
ly,  with  his  quick  observation,  find  out  the  leader 
of  this  cavalry  charge,  and  seek  to  kill  him. 

Of  one  thing  only  are  we  certain.  Tecumseh, 
dressed  in  his  simple  buckskin  suit,  with  no  orna 
ment  but  an  English  medal  hung  about  his  neck, 


3l8  TECUMSEH. 

was  killed  by  a  pistol  shot  from  a  man  on  horseback 
The  Indians  recovered  his  body  during  the  night, 
though  it  lay  in  the  light  of  the  American  camp- 
fires. 

He  was  about  forty-four  years  of  age,  and  in  body 
and  mind  the  finest  flower  of  the  aboriginal  Ameri 
can  race. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

AFTER  TECUMSEH'S  DEATH. 

THE  war  continued  with  varying  fortune  for  more 
than  a  year  after  the  defeat  of  Proctor ;  peace  being 
finally  concluded  by  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  though 
the  last  battle,  at  New  Orleans,  was  fought  in  Jan 
uary,  1815,  after  the  treaty  had  been  signed,  but  be 
fore  the  close  of  the  war  was  known.  If  we  are  to 
judge  by  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  the  War  of  1812  was 
a  drawn  battle,  none  of  the  vexed  questions  which 
brought  it  about  being  specifically  settled  in  that  doc 
ument.  Its  practical  results,  however,  were  very 
considerable  and  wholesome.  Great  Britain,  after 
the  war,  though  not  bound  by  treaty  to  do  so,  put  a 
stop  to  the  irritating  and  unjust  practice  of  searching 
vessels  flying  the  American  flag.  And  warlike 
Americans,  from  that  day  to  this,  have  not  dreamed 
of  easily  conquering  any  part  of  the  British  prov 
inces. 

The  character  of  Tecumseh  had  excited  the  admi 
ration  of  the  English  as  well  as  of  the  Americans.  The 
Prince  Regent,  in  1814,  sent  a  sword  to  Tecumseh's 


320  TECUMSEH. 

son,  Pugesh ashen waf  and  settled  upon  him  an  annual 
pension  in  consideration  of  his  father's  services.  We 
know  nothing  of  the  son  but  that  he  removed  to  the 
Indian  Territory  with  the  remnant  of  the  Shawnee 
nation.  He  did  not  figure  as  a  man  of  any  influence 
in  the  later  history  of  his  people. 

The  Prophet  also  received  a  pension  from  the  Brit 
ish  government,  though  not  for  valor.  He  was  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  but 
did  not  participate,  either  out  of  regard  to  his  sacred 
character,  or  out  of  respect  to  the  preciousness  of  his 
life.  His  portraits  show  him  to  be  a  man  of  repulsive 
face,  having  but  one  eye,  and  well  calculated  to  im 
press  the  savage  imagination  as  one  who  had  myste 
rious  dealings  with  the  other  world. 

Most  of  the  Indians  living  near  the  settlements 
submitted  to  the  Americans  after  the  battle  of  the 
Thames.  The  tribes  have  since  been  removed  to  the 
West,  and  have  become  partly  civilized,  though  still 
retaining  a  tribal  government  Many  whites  have 
intermarried  with  them ;  from  this  admixture  of  white 
blood  and  from  other  causes,  the  Indian  nations  have 
generally  declined  in  numbers — more  by  a  gradual 
absorption  into  the  more  numerous  white  communi 
ties  than  from  extinction.  The  moment  a  half  or 
quarter  blood  Indian  removes  from  the  reservation  of 
his  tribe,  he  becomes  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a 


AFTER  TECUMSEH'S  DEATH.  321 

white  man,  and  in  two  or  three  generations  the  last 
signs  of  Indian  descent  are  obliterated. 

The  Prophet  lived  for  twenty- two  years  after  the 
death  of  Tecumseh,  dying  in  1834  among  his  people 
in  their  new  home  in  the  Indian  Territory.  He  had 
sunk  into  a  great  obscurity  long  before  his  death, 
though  he  continued  to  exercise  his  prophetic  gifts 
for  many  years  after  the  overthrow  of  the  movement 
that  he  had  led.  For  no  amount  of  failure  ever  quite 
discredits  an  impostor — there  are  always  ignorant 
dupes  eager  to  follow  an  impudent  pretender  or  a 
fanatic. 

In  the  spring  of  1823,  Isaac  Harvey,  a  member  of 
the  Society  of  Friends,  who  was  connected  with  the 
Friends'  Mission  at  Wapakonetta,  as  superintendent 
of  mills,  visited  one  day  an  Indian  who  was  suffering 
from  pulmonary  consumption.  He  found  the  door 
of  the  Indian's  cabin  shut  and  fastened,  but  after  a 
time  it  was  opened  and  he  saw  the  sick  man  lying 
face  downwards,  his  bared  back  cut  in  several  places, 
so  that  he  was  in  an  exhausted  state  from  the  loss  of 
blood.  There  was  present  none  other  than  our  old 
friend  Tenskwatawa,  the  Shawnee  Prophet,  who  was 
exercising  his  functions  as  a  prophet  or  clairvoyant 
doctor.  He  informed  the  Quaker  that  the  man  was 
bewitched,  and  that  these  openings  were  made  in  his 
body  to  let  out  the  combustible  matter  that  had 

14* 


322  TECUMSEH. 

been  thrown  into  him.  The  good  Quaker  drove  ths 
Prophet  out  of  the  house  and  dressed  the  sick  man's 
wounds. 

On  the  following  night  the  friendly  superintendent 
of  the  mills  was  awakened  by  some  one  at  his  door 
wishing  to  get  in.  He  heard  a  woman's  voice  crying  in 
broken  English,  "They  kill-ee  me!  they  kill-ee  me!" 
It  was  an  Indian  woman  with  her  little  girl.  Mr. 
Harvey  took  her  to  the  house  of  the  United  States 
interpreter,  where  she  explained  that  a  little  messen 
ger  had  brought  her  word  that  the  chiefs  were  in 
council,  and  that  she  had  certainly  been  condemned 
to  die  on  a  charge  of  having  bewitched  the  poor 
consumptive  on  whom  the  Prophet  had  operated 
with  knives.  She  begged  the  "  Qua-ke-lee  "  to  pro 
tect  her,  and  said  she  would  do  all  that  he  com 
manded.  The  shrewd  Quaker,  not  relying  on  the 
friendliness  of  the  interpreter,  answered  the  woman 
coldly,  but  having  secured  another  interpreter  in  the 
person  of  the  blacksmith's  son,  he  talked  with  her 
again  and  finally  hid  her  and  her  daughter  between 
two  beds  on  a  bedstead  in  the  upper  room  of  his 
house.  He  also  killed  with  his  own  hands  a  small 
dog  that  had  followed  her.  The  life  of  Harvey's 
family  depended,  perhaps,  quite  as  much  as  that  of 
the  Indian  woman's,  on  their  success  in  keeping  her 
hidden.  Every  part  of  the  Quaker's  house  was 


AFTER   TECUMSEH'S   DEATH.  323 

searched,  even  this  upper  room,  where  there  stood 
nothing  but  this  innocent-looking  bed  with  all  the 
covers  spread. 

In  the  middle  of  that  anxious  day  there  came  to 
the  house  of  Isaac  Harvey,  his  friend,  the  chief  Wea- 
secah,  otherwise  called  Captain  Wolf.  He  told  the 
superintendent  what  had  happened  among  them,  as 
though  he  did  not  at  all  suspect  his  friend  of  any  part 
in  the  matter.  The  Quaker  earnestly  remonstrated 
against  the  Indian  belief  in  witches  and  witchcraft, 
and  expostulated  with  him  on  the  cruelty  of  putting 
people  to  death  on  an  unproven  charge  of  this  kind. 
This  disturbed  the  mind  of  Weasecah ;  he  was  sur 
prised  to  find  that  the  "  Qua-ke-lee  "  did  not  agree 
with  him  on  so  important  a  matter. 

About  an  hour  afterward  he  returned  and  ex 
pressed  his  belief  that  Harvey  knew  more  about  the 
matter  than  he  professed  to.  As  the  Quaker  tried 
to  evade,  Weasecah  urged  him  to  tell  what  he  knew, 
promising  that  so  far  from  betraying  him  he  would 
defend  him  to  the  utmost  of  his  power. 

It  was  a  desperate  resort,  but  Isaac  Harvey  felt 
that  the  case  was  a  desperate  one.  Without  frankly 
confessing  all  that  he  knew  of  the  matter,  he  admitted 
to  the  chief  that  he  believed  the  condemned  woman 
was  out  of  the  reach  of  the  Indians  who  were 
seeking  her,  and  that  they  would  never  see  her  faca 


324  TECUMSEH. 

again  unless  they  altogether  abandoned  the  idea  of 
executing  her.  This  was  a  shrewd  way  of  putting 
the  case,  but  the  Quaker  added  what  startled  tli3 
chief  yet  more,  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
close  up  the  mission  and  take  his  family  and  go 
home. 

After  some  thought,  the  chief  proposed  to  Harvey 
that  he  should  go  with  him  direct  to  the  council- 
house,  where  the  chiefs  were  then  in  session.  He 
thought  if  the  "  Qua-ke-lee "  would  promise  the 
chiefs  that  he  would  be  answerable  to  them  for  the 
condemned  woman,  he  could  prevail  on  them  to  par 
don  her.  Isaac  Harvey  resolved  to  go,  though  it 
was  like  going  into  a  den  of  wild  beasts,  thus  to 
brave  the  angry  chiefs  in  council.  He  asked  the 
blacksmith,  whose  son  had  been  his  second  interpre 
ter  the  night  before,  and  who  had  himself  offered  as 
sistance,  to  let  the  boy  go  with  him  now.  The  smith 
did  not  believe  in  his  success,  but  said  that  he  had 
promised  to  help  Harvey,  and  he  would  also  go  with 
his  son.  Entered  now  into  the  council-house  these 
four — the  chief,  Isaac  Harvey  the  Quaker,  the  black 
smith  and  his  sen. 

"Be  still  and  hear!"  said  Weasecah.  He  then 
told  them  of  his  interviews  with  his  friend  the  "  Qua 
ke-lee,"  and  of  the  occasion  of  their  coming.  The 
Indians,  some  of  whom  were  painted  and  armed  in  a 


way  that  made  them  quite  appalling  to  the  Quaker, 
now  moved  round  talking  one  to  another. 

Isaac  Harvey  then  addressed  them  through  his  in 
terpreter,  telling  them  with  great  composure  that  he 
had  come  with  Weasecah  and  Simmeta  (the  black 
smith)  to  intercede  for  the  woman ;  but  seeing  they 
had  resolved  to  follow  their  own  course,  he  was  pre 
pared  to  offer  himself  in  her  stead ;  that  he  had  no 
arms  and  was  at  their  mercy — they  might  do  with 
him  as  they  thought  best 

At  this  the  noble  chief  Weasecah  took  hold  of 
Harvey's  arm  and  said,  "  Me  Qua-ke-lee  friend." 
He  begged  the  chiefs  not  to  suffer  their  friend  the 
Quaker  to  be  harmed.  But  if  they  were  still  deter 
mined  not  to  submit  to  the  proposition,  he  offered 
his  life  instead  of  his  friend's. 

This  heroic  attitude  of  the  Quaker,  with  the  loyal 
and  brave  act  of  the  chief,  checked  the  tide  of  hostile 
feeling,  and  for  a  minute  all  were  in  suspense.  Then 
chief  after  chief  to  the  number  of  six  or  eight  step 
ped  up  to  the  Quaker,  each  offering  his  hand  and  say 
ing,  "  Me  Qua-ke-lee  friend."  The  blacksmith  also 
declared  himself  the  Quaker's  friend,  so  that  the 
good  man  was  surrounded  by  quite  a  number. 
Weasecah  then  argued  with  them  eloquently,  so  that 
at  last  the  whole  council  offered  their  hands  in 
friendship.  The  only  exception  was  Tenskwatavva, 


326  TECUMSEII. 

the  Prophet,  who  sullenly  left  the  council-house  in 
defeat. 

It  was  hard  for  the  Quaker  to  prevail  on  the  poor 
woman  to  come  out  of  hiding.  "They  kill-ee  me," 
she  cried.  Even  Weasecah  could  not  persuade  her 
to  leave  her  place  of  concealment.  She  remained 
several  days  in  the  Quaker's  house,  when  she  return 
ed  to  her  own  people,  and  lived  in  peace. 

By  this  interference  of  Isaac  Harvey,  persecution 
for  witchcraft  among  the  Shawnees  was  destroyed. 
The  gradually  increasing  enlightenment  of  the  nation, 
under  the  lead  of  missionaries  of  several  denomina 
tions,  has  done  away  with  many  of  their  old  super 
stitions. 

All  dreams  of  perpetuating  savage  life  in  opposi 
tion  to  civilization  are  futile.  Civilization  produces 
a  dense  population.  It  is  not  desirable  that  a  savage 
race  which  spreads  itself  thinly  in  squalid  hunting 
bands  should  possess  a  fertile  country  capable  of 
supporting  a  hundred  times  as  many  people  in  the 
comfort  and  enlightenment  of  civilization.  Tecum- 
seh's  impulse  was  a  patriotic  one ;  but  it  was  a  mis 
taken  patriotism.  The  later  chiefs  of  the  Shawnees, 
Delawares,  Wyandots,  and  Miamis,  who  saw  plainly 
that  it  was  only  by  learning  the  arts  of  civilized  life 
that  their  people  could  be  saved  from  destruction, 
were  wiser  than  he.  But  the  tribute  which  we  al- 


Ai-TiCK   rrct'MSEirs  DEATH.  327 

ways  pay  to  courage,  eloquence,  administrative  gen 
ius,  and  the  most  devoted  patriotism,  rightly  belong 
to  the  great  Tecumseh,  who,  had  his  lot  fallen  to 
him  in  a  more  favorable  time,  might  have  produced 
results  more  permanent  than  a  confederacy  of  sav 
ages.  It  is  in  the  nature  of  all  confederations  of 
savage  tribes  to  fall  asunder.  Vainly  Tecumseh  la 
bored,  for  the  very  laws  of  nature  were  against  him. 
But  he  serves  to  show  how  great  even  a  savage  may 


TH3   KND. 


APPENDIX. 


AUTHORITIES    FOR    THE    LIFE    OF 
TECUMSEH. 

Life  of  Tecumseh  and  of  his  Brother  the  Prophet.  With  an  Hi*« 
torical  Sketch  of  the  Shawanoe  Indians.  By  Benjamin  Drake.  Cin 
cinnati,  1841. 

History  of  the  Shawnee  Indians,  from  the  year  1681  to  1854 
inclusive.  By  Henry  Harvey,  a  Member  of  the  Religious  Society 
of  Friends.  Cincinnati,  1855. 

History  of  the  Late  War  in  the  Western  Country,  comprising  a 
full  Account  of  all  the  Transactions  in  that  quarter,  from  the  Com- 
mencement  of  Hostilities  at  Tippecanoe,  to  the  Termination  of  the 
Contest  at  New  Orleans  on  the  Return  of  Peace.  By  Robert  B. 
McAfee.  Lexington,  Ky.,  1816. 

A  Historical  Narrative  of  the  Civil  -ind  Mil  tary  Services  of  Major- 
General  William  H.  Harrison,  and  a  Vindication  of  his  Ginracter 
and  Conduct  as  a  Statesman,  a  Citizen,  and  a  Soldier.  With  a  detail 
of  his  Negotiations  and  Wars  with  the  Indians,  until  the  final  Over 
throw  of  the  celebrated  Chief  Tecumseh  and  his  Brother  the  Prophet. 
The  whole  written  and  compiled  from  original  and  authentic  docu 
ments  furnished  by  many  of  the  most  respectable  characters  in  the 
United  States.  By  Moses  Dawson,  Editor  of  the  Cincinnati  Adver 
tiser.  Cincinnati,  1854, 


33°  APPENDIX. 

Sketches  of  Western  Adventure :  Containing  an  Account  of  the 
Most  Interesting  Incidents  Connected  with  the  Settlement  of  the 
West,  from  1755  to  1794;  with  an  Appendix  I>y  John  A.  McClung. 
Also  Additional  Sketches  compiled  by  the  Publishers:  a  Biography 
of  John  A.  McClung.  By  Henry  Waller.  Covington,  Ky.,  1872. 
[First  Edition,  1832.] 

Biographical  Sketches  of  General  Nathaniel  Massey,  General  Dun- 
an  McArthur,  Captain  William  Wells,  and  General  Simon  Kenton ; 
who  were  Early  Settlers   in  the  Western   Country.     By  John  Mo 
Donald  of  Poplar  Ridge,  Ross  County,  Ohio.     Dayton,  O.,  1852. 

A  History  of  Indiana,  from  its  Earliest  Explorations  by  Eu 
ropeans  to  the  close  of  the  Territorial  Government  in  1816;  compre 
hending  a  History  of  the  Discovery,  Settlement,  and  Civil  and  Mili 
tary  Affairs  of  the  Territory  of  the  United  States  North-West  of  the 
River  Ohio,  and  a  General  View  of  the  Progress  of  Public  Affairs  in 
Indiana  from  1816  to  1856.  By  John  B.  Dillon.  Indianapolis,  1859. 

Biography  and  History  of  the  Indians  of  North  America :  a  His 
tory  of  their  Wars,  with  au  Account  of  their  Antiquities,  Manners, 
Customs,  Religion  and  Laws.  By  Samuel  G.  Drake.  Boston,  1848. 
[First  Edition,  1832.] 

Life  and  Services  of  General  Anthony  Wayne.  Founded  on  docu 
mentary  and  other  Evidence  furnished  by  Colonel  Isaac  Wayne.  By 
H.  N.  Moore.  Philadelphia,  Leary,  Getz  &  Co.,  1859. 

A  Memoir  of  the  Public  Services  of  William  Henry  Harrison, 
of  Ohio.  By  James  Hall.  Philadelphia,  1836. 

Sketches  of  the  Civil  and  Military  Services  of  William  Henry  Har- 
rison.  By  Charles  S.  Todd  and  Benjamin  Drake.  Cincinnati,  1840. 

Life  and  Adventures  of  Daniel  Boone,  the  First  Settler  01  Ken 
tucky,  interspersed  with  Incidents  in  the  Early  Annals  of  the  C< 
try,     By  Timothy  Fllr*      v*w  EcKtior,  iS6S. 


APPENDIX.  331 

The  Colonial  History  of  Vincennes,  under  the  French,  British, 
and  American  Governments,  from  its  First  Settlement  down  to  the 
Territorial  Administration  of  General  William  Henry  Harrison,  being 
an  Address  Delivered  by  Judge  Law,  before  the  Vincennes  Histori 
cal  and  Antiquarian  Society,  February  22d,  1839.  With  Additional 
Notes  and  Illustrations.  Vincennes,  1858. 

Recollections  of  the  Early  Settlement  of  the  Wabasli  Valley.  By 
Sanford  C.  Cox.  Lafayette,  1860. 

Historical  Sketches  of  the  Late  War  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain,  blended  with  Anecdotes  illustrative  of  the  Indi 
vidual  Bravery  of  the  American  Soldiers,  Sailors,  and  Citizens.  By 
John  Lewis  Thompson.  Philadelphia,  1816. 

Romantic  Passages  in  Southwestern  History :  including  Orations, 
Sketches,  and  Essays.  By  A.  B.  Meek.  Third  Edition.  Mobile, 
1857- 

Sketches  of  History,  Life,  and  Manners  in  the  West.  By  James 
Hall.  Philadelphia,  1835. 

History  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of  North  America,  with  Biographi 
cal  Sketches  and  Anecdotes  of  the  Principal  Chiefs.  Philadelphia, 
1842. 

A  Full  and  Correct  Account  of  the  Chief  Military  Occurrences  of 
the  Late  War  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  of  Ame- 
rica.  London,  1818. 

The  History  of  Kentucky :  An  Account  of  the  Modern  Discovery, 
Settlement,  and  Progressive  Improvement,  Civil  and  Military  Trans- 
actions,  and  the  Present  State  of  the  Country.  By  Humphrey  Marshall. 
Frankfort,  1824. 

A  Chapter  of  the  History  of  the  War  of  1812  in  the  Northwest, 
embracing  the  Surrender  of  the  Northwestern  Army  and  Fort  at  De- 


332  APPENDIX. 

troit,  August  16,  1812,  with  a  Description  and  Biographical  Sketch 
of  the  celebrated  Chief  Tecumseh.  By  Colonel  William  Stanley 
Hatch,  Acting  Assistant  Quartermaster-General  of  that  Army.  Cin 
cinnati,  1872. 

Early  History  of  Western  Pennsylvania  and  the  West,  and  of  West 
ern  Expeditions  and  Campaigns  from  MDCCLIV.  to  MDcrcxxxm.  By 
a  Gentleman  of  the  Bar.  Pittsburg,  1846. 

Memories  of  Shaubena,  with  Incidents  Relating  to  the  Early  Set 
tlement  of  the  West.  ByN.  Matson.  Chicago,  1878. 

Personal  Memoirs  of  a  Residence  of  Thirty  Years  with  the  Indian 
Tribes  of  the  American  Frontiers.  By  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft.  Phila 
delphia,  1851. 

Autobiography  of  Rev.  James  B.  Finley.    Cincinnati,  1853. 

A  Narrative  of  the  Captivity  and  Adventures  of  John  Tanner,  dur 
ing  Thirty  Years'  Residence  among  the  Indians  in  the  Interior  of 
North  America,  Edited  by  Edwin  James.  London,  1830. 


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